three fishes in a tank
by atomic muffin
Summary: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: three fishes in a tank

**Summary**: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.

**Disclaimers**: BNHA isn't mine. Chapter titles come from 'Till then my windows ache' from Pablo Nerudo

Betaed by KarmaHope, bless her soul.

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**Part I: So I wait for you like a lonely house**

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Shouto has always known that his life was destined to go up in flames. His fate was set the moment he manifested his Quirk. Todorokis don't disappear quietly into that cold night. They go out with a bang, and Shouto is certainly no exception to that rule.

Admittedly, he never suspected a gas leak would be his end. Or the end of his flat.

When he moved out of his father's house, Endeavor told him he wouldn't last a month in a normal place without burning everything down. Shouto, with perfect maturity, retaliated by picking the cheapest, most insecure building he could find in the vicinity of his agency. In the two years he's lived there, he hasn't triggered the fire alarm once. Spite has always been his strongest motivator.

So it's just blatantly unfair that he comes home from a five day mission to find his building blasted into oblivion, _and it's not even his fault_. All Shouto wants is to curl up in his beat-up futon and go comatose for at least twenty-four hours. Is that so much to ask for?

"Todoroki-kun, you're back!"

Shouto slowly turns on his heels. "Ah. Ito-san. Good evening."

It's a terrible evening, really, but that's hardly the poor woman's fault. Unless, of course, she went out of her way to explode his flat herself, which is doubtful. Ito-san is a kind elderly lady who lives in the building in front of his. Well. Used to live, he supposes. They would say hello and comment on the weather when they saw each other. For some unknown reason, she's convinced he's starving himself and often brings him homemade meals. He carries her groceries when he can and makes appropriate noises of appreciation when she cooes over the pictures of her grandkids. It's a well oiled routine, and Shouto likes the simplicity of it.

"Oh dear, you look exhausted!" Ito-san gasps, her wrinkled hand covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry about your flat. There was a gas leak four days ago and...well. You can see for yourself."

"Yes." Shouto eyes the burnt remains of what used to be his building. "I see. Were there any casualties?"

"Thank god, no!" His neighbour shakes her head. "It happened in the middle of the day. Most people were out."

Well, that's something at least. If no one was hurt, then Shouto has no reason to complain. It's fine if all his belongings were destroyed. They're just things. He can buy others. Granted, he can hardly find the tea set Yaoyorozu made for him in some generic store. Or the photo album Fuyumi gifted him. Natsuo's too-large tee-shirts. The annotated cooking books from Sato. The collector CDs Jirou sent him. The thriller novels Tsuyu-chan lent him. The fluffy scarf Uraraka hand-knitted herself. The warm blankets Midoriya left behind when he visited.

The letters from his mother.

"We couldn't find a way to contact you." Ito-san explains softly, her hand resting on his arm in comfort.

"I forgot my phone in my room before I left." Shouto recalls.

He hadn't worried about it. He had his professional phone with him. He trusted his agency to contact him if anything came up. Apparently, his flat exploding didn't count as an emergency. They probably knew better than to disturb him in the middle of a mission. There was nothing he could have done about it anyway.

"Ah, well. That would explain it. Your friends came by to take care of everything in your stead."

"My friends?" Shouto echoes, bemused.

The woman clasps her hands together. "Yes! A fine young man with glasses and a lovely brown-haired miss! And that green-haired fellow. Very good friends that you have there, Todoroki-kun. They were all quite concerned."

Shouto can't help but smile at Ito-san's utter lack of awareness about the hero world. Of course she wouldn't recognize Ingenium, Uravity, or _Deku_, three of Japan's rising star heroes. She barely even knows who he is and what he does, or what the name Todoroki means. It's refreshing.

Did Iida, Midoriya and Uraraka really come? The thought is equally embarrassing and pleasing. They didn't have to, but it's... nice.

"Oh, silly me!" Ito-chan says out of the blue, pulling out her ancient phone from the pocket of her mantle. "I promised to call that cute young woman when you came home! My memory isn't what it used to be."

Cute young woman? Does she mean Uraraka? "Ito-san, that's not necessary…"

Shouto doesn't want to be a bother. He can manage on his own. It's all fine, there is no need to involve his former classmates any further. They're all very busy heroes and have better things to do than take care of his problems. Shouto can sneak into his agency and sleep there until he figures something out. Or sleep under a bridge. It's not like he's going to die of cold, anyway.

He would do anything but move back _there_.

"Nonsense! The green-haired one will fret if I don't, Todoroki-kun. I _promised_ I would. Everything is arranged already." Ito-san clicks her tongue disapprovingly before smiling against the phone. "Oh! Hello! Yes, it's Ito, Todoroki-kun's neighbour... yes he's back... alright, see you soon!"

Ito-san puts her phone back in her pocket, ignoring Shouto's wince. "She's on her way! C'mon, let's go wait somewhere warm before we both freeze."

_Shouto_ certainly isn't going to freeze any time soon, but he lets her drag him into her flat and accepts the cup of the tea she offers him without protesting. Clearly, he has no room to decide anything about his own life anymore.

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Ochako isn't proud to admit she laughed when she learnt about Todoroki's flat getting barbequed. Her first reaction was, to quote: "Did he sneeze too hard?" Of course, the whole business became far more serious when she saw the disaster for herself. The sight of the carbonized remains of her friend's building is as crushing as before. Poor Todoroki. His place was a fire hazard and he knew it, but it was terrible luck nonetheless.

"Uraraka," Todoroki greets her evenly as he walks toward her. "You didn't have to come all this way."

Ochako resists the urge to snort. Deku-kun and Todoroki are so alike sometimes it's scary. Both act like they're nothing but huge burdens and their loved ones and cannot be convinced otherwise. It's almost funny, until it's not.

"Hey, Todoroki!" She smiles, standing up from her slouched position against her car. "Don't be silly, of course I had to come." She gestures at his former building for emphasis. "Let's get in, it's freezing outside."

Todoroki opens the door without saying a word. Ochako's very relieved she doesn't have to argue or physically force him to accept their help. She _could _have, especially considering how exhausted he looks, and was prepared to. Unfortunately, a picture of Uravity dragging a squirming Entropy back to her flat like a caveman bringing back his stolen bride is the last thing she wants to see in the papers when she wakes up tomorrow morning.

Even if it would be hilarious as fuck.

"Thank you for your help," Todoroki says as she sits behind the wheel. "Where exactly are you taking me? Ito-san didn't know."

"Ito-san is such a sweetheart, oh my god," Ochako laughs, cheerfully turning the key in the ignition. "Did you know she doesn't even know who Entropy is? She called Deku _Freckles_. That was so funny, she's adorable. She spent half an hour gushing about how much of a good boy you were."

She really did. Deku was torn between nodding along furiously and adding his own arguments about 'Why Todoroki Is The Best.' Ochako wouldn't be surprised if her boyfriend had an analysis book filled with trivia about the elusive Todoroki hidden somewhere. What a hopeless dork. Ochako loves that fool so much.

"Ito-san is a very kind person," Todoroki agrees, smiling gently. Well, what counts as smiling for him anyway. Spotting the soft in the middle of the blankness requires experience.

Ochako turns to the right, humming along to the music. "Yep, she is!"

Todoroki nods, staring at the window as they drive by the park. For a second, Ochako has a tenuous hope he won't question her any more. Fat luck with that.

"Uraraka. Are we going to your flat?"

Oh well. Ochako side-eyes her future guest sharply. It's not like he can escape from the car, she activated the door safety. Bitch ain't going anywhere.

"That we are," she chirps. "Our place is the closest to your agency, and we have a spare room."

At least, they do now. They have a room they used to stockpile their stuff like work out equipment and Deku's enormous collection of hero paraphernalia in. They really needed to throw away some of their ever-growing hoard of useless crap anyway. It's all for the best.

Todoroki doesn't seem to agree with that statement. "You don't need to go that far, Uraraka. My sister…"

Sadly for him, Ochako hasn't come to the fight _unprepared_. She never does.

"Has two babies at home, as you remember. Don't worry, we called her already."

Todoroki-san was rightfully alarmed by her brother's situation and immediately proposed her own home. The poor woman was already overwhelmed with her newborns, and they all agreed it was for the best Deku and Ochako took Todoroki in until he could get back on his feet.

Todoroki frowns. "Natsuo…"

"Out of the country. He wants you to know you're a dumbass for forgetting your phone and that you have to call him asap or he'll fly back to Japan just to smack your head, _don't try me Shouto_. His words, not mine."

Frankly, Todoroki's siblings are both adorable in their own way. Ochako has never met them before, but Deku seemed to know them pretty well. It's good to know Todoroki has such fierce people in his corner, outside of their former class. Ochako approves whole-heartedly.

"Yaoyorozu…" He tries, getting desperate.

"Lives on the other side of the city, and you know it. C'mon Todoroki." She pouts. "You don't want live with us _that bad_? I'm offended. I'll have you know we're great roommates."

Well. For a given value of 'great.' They're decent, at least. Sure, Deku breaks their furniture by accident on a weekly basis and Ochako is a champion at burning food, but they have movie nights. Movie nights are important. The rest are details.

"It's not that," Todoroki mumbles, staring down at his lap. "I don't want to bother you. Couples don't need a freeloader squatting their home."

Ochako bites the inside of her cheek anxiously. They're reaching the root of the problem: the uncomfortable and awkward weight of that _thing _between Deku and Todoroki that exists unacknowledged at the edge of her thing with Deku. She has always known Todoroki had feelings for her boyfriend, perhaps even before _he_ did. It was obvious. After all, Ochako knows better than anyone what a crush on Midoriya Izuku looks like.

It's been five years, and neither Ochako or Todoroki have said anything about their theoretical rivalry in love. She remembers she used to resent him, and he probably reciprocated the feeling. Ochako is no longer the insecure fifteen-year old girl she was, and Todoroki apparently got used to pining from afar. She knows Deku would never betray her trust, and neither would Todoroki.

If only because Deku would have to _notice _first. His self-consciousness is so deeply rooted in his personality he's unable to tell when someone is interested in him, even if they're hitting on him _hard_. God knows Ochako had to be brutally honest about her feelings for him to get the message.

Anyway, Ochako completely understands why Todoroki is so reluctant to move in with them, even for a few days. She wouldn't be delighted to constantly share space with her unaccessible crush and his significant other either, but she can't help but think this is her chance to fix the latent unresolved conflict between them.

Todoroki is important to Deku. Hell, Todoroki is important _to her_. She wants to be friends. She needs for them to be friends.

She stops at the red light and turns toward him decidedly.

"Hey. No, Todoroki, you're not a freeloader. You're not, okay? You're _our friend_, and your flat exploded. It's terrible what happened to you." She leans sideway, clasping his shoulder. The left one. She can feel his Quirk warming her skin through her gloves. "Please let us help you."

Todoroki blinks at her hand, looking utterly confused. He seems so done with everything. Ochako wants to burrito him in a blanket and let the poor guy rest for at least twelve hours. With eye bags like those, he clearly deserves it. It's unfair he manages to still look attractive despite the exhaustion, but that's just Todoroki for you.

"...Only for a few days," he concedes, sighing.

Ochako barely resists the urge to pump her fist in victory. "Yeah, sure! For as long as you need, buddy. Us from the Deku Squad gotta stick together, amiright?"

Us from the Deku_ Pining_ Club gotta stick together, she tactfully doesn't say.

"There is no such a thing as a Deku Squad," he snorts.

"Of course there is! And you're a member of it. No take backs. Deku Squad is _forever_."

"Seems awful," Todoroki deadpans.

Ochako giggles uncontrollably. No one can deadpan like Todoroki. He glares down like the amount of bullshit he just heard forced his very soul to leave his body as a coping mechanism.

The guy behind her honks furiously. "Green light," Todoroki informs her.

"Jeez. People need to chill."

It doesn't matter, she tells herself as she viciously pushes against the acceleration pedal. She and Todoroki were totally having a _moment_. Ochako is so going to hit all the friendship bases with this guy even it's the last thing she does, believe it.

.

The flat smells like Thai takeout from the small restaurant two streets over when Izuku comes home. It's a familiar enough scent, sadly. His and Ochako's schedules are so full they hardly have the time to cook. She hates cooking, anyway. Izuku doesn't mind it, but he comes back from work after nine pm more often than not.

"I'm back," he says loudly over the sounds of the TV as he puts his coat and his shoes in the entrance closet.

"Welcome back," Ochako answers from the living room.

Izuku walks in to find his girlfriend sitting under the kotatsu, a pile of empty food packaging in front of her. She's writing a report on her laptop, paying little attention to the baseball match playing on the TV. Ochako needs to have background noises. She doesn't like long silences.

Facing her is a lump of blankets that looks vaguely human shaped, spread halfway across the low table.

"Is that...Todoroki?" Izuku gasps, bending on the side to stare under the improvised hood. It _looks_ like his best friend, but it's hard to say with the violently pink quilt covering his head.

"Yep," Ochako smirks. She's likely very happy with herself for burying poor Todoroki under fluffiness. "Ito-san found him wandering in front of his building. I told you he wouldn't call."

Oh, c'mon. What was Todoroki planning to do, sleep in the streets? Izuku knows he doesn't have much room to talk, but even he's not _that bad_ at asking for help.

"Todoroki-kun, really," he moans, pinching the bridge of his nose. The lump doesn't react to the jab. "Is he asleep?"

Ochako reaches out to pat what is probably the top of Todoroki's head. "Yeah. He just came back from his mission. He looked dead on his feet."

Concern bubbles in his chest. It's not his place, Izuku knows this, but he doubts he'll ever manage to_ not_ worry about his friend. He can't help it. Anxiety is in his nature, and Todoroki has plenty of issues to be anxious about.

If he thought he could get away with it, he would just snuggle Todoroki, where he would be safe and warm and happy, and would never let go. The longing, the urge to _protect_ is so strong sometimes he feels like he's drowning under the weight of it.

It scares him. It's wrong of him to feel like this toward his friend. Toward anyone, really. He knows he's never felt so overwhelmed by the same overprotective urges toward his own girlfriend. To be fair, Ochako might murder him if he triedhas the absurd idea to try coddling her.

"How was your day?" Ochako interrupts his musings. She has that knowing glint in her eyes, as if she can tell exactly what he was thinking about. Izuku wouldn't be surprised.

"Oh, it was alright. My intern got injured again." For the third time in two months. It figured that Izuku would get protegés just as bad as he used to be. As he still is, admittedly.

"Ehe, poor Reim," Ochako chuckles. She gestures at an unopened box next to her. "I bought shrimp noodles. Your favorite. Not sure it's still warm though."

Frankly, at this point, Izuku is so hungry he would eat anything. He sits down, slides under the kotatsu and sighs blissfully at the smell of food coming from the box as he tears open the lid. "You're an angel."

"Pfff, sure. You're easy to please, Izuku."

He slurps his noodles, watching the match distractedly as Ochako types on her laptop. By the time Izuku has finished his meal, Todoroki still hasn't moved. Odd. From what Izuku remembers of their dorm days, the man is a pretty light sleeper. He must be really, really tired. Understandable, considering the day he just had.

"Do you think..." Izuku asks eventually. "Do you think he's going to stay?"

His friendship with Todoroki has been somewhat stiff since he and Ochako moved in together a year ago. They were still friends but... Izuku doesn't know. Todoroki always finds excuses not to come to their place. He never minded coming to Izuku's mother's house before Izuku moved out.

"Well, if he leaves, he won't get far," Ochako declares flatly. "I snuck a tracker in his PJs."

"_Ochako_."

"Aha, don't look at me like that, I'm kidding!" She grins, blowing a raspberry at him. "Honestly? I don't know. We'll see, I guess."

Uncertainty. Izuku hates it. His mind can't help but try to fill the blanks. Inevitably, Izuku ends up obsessing over the issue, thinking, thinking, _thinking_. It's a vicious circle, and he always falls back into it, one way or another. His brain wouldn't know how to chill if his life depended on it.

"Yeah, I guess."

"I know it's impossible for you, but try not to worry too much about it. He's not going to be found dead in a ditch in any case, 'kay?" Ochako smiles, leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Hey, look at that, it's kinda late. I'll carry our big boy to his room."

Izuku straightens. When he speaks, his voice is hoarse. "I-I can do it, Ochako! You already did so much…"

"Are you saying I can't do it on my own, Deku-kun?" She _smiles_ when she stands up.

It's her 'Watch Me, Bitch' smile. Izuku knows better than to go against her when her competitive instincts are all flared up and ready to lash out. "No?"

"Good!" His scary girlfriend chirps, revealing Todoroki's deeply asleep face as she removes the blankets from his face.

Ochako lightly touches Todoroki's arm with her five fingers. He doesn't wake even as he floats into the air and ends up in her arms. Izuku doesn't think he's ever seen the man so out of it in their five years of friendship, including three years in the same dorm. _What did Ochako put in his tea_?

He tries to stare too obviously at them waddling toward the spare room. Considering the smirk Ochako sends his way, he doubts he succeeds.

This is gonna be a long week.

.

There are few things Shouto hates more than idleness. People who don't work constantly are trash. Scum. Useless. This lesson was beat into him since his earliest childhood. He never managed to grow out of it, despite knowing how shitty and fucked up that mentality is. Doing nothing is more stressful than relaxing to him.

So he works. And when he's not working, he trains. And when he's not training, he sleeps. When he fails to keep himself sufficiently occupied, he inevitably starts thinking. By thinking, he really means brooding. About his father. About his life. About Midoriya. Soon enough he gets himself all angry, pissed off and sad, and he would rather not. There's no point.

It's a valid coping mechanism, if not particularly healthy. It works for Shouto, so he's sticking to it. Unfortunately, his agency gave him two weeks off to sort things out with his flat, so he has no work to use as a refuge. Which also means he doesn't have access to the training grounds until he's cleared by the agency's doctor. Apparently, Shouto is getting close to burnout. As if he hasn't been burning out his whole life.

Soon enough, Shouto finds himself with nothing to do. He calls his agency. He calls his landlord. He calls his siblings. He calls his insurance, and fills all the paperwork. He should probably look into a new flat to rent or go buy new clothes, but the simple thought of going out and leaving the safety of the flat is exhausting. Midoriya said it was fine if Shouto borrowed his clothes. They hardly fit Shouto's frame, but it's good enough for him. It's not like he cares if Midoriya or Uraraka sees him swimming in his sweatshirt.

Which leaves him with literally nothing to do by the end of his first morning at Midoriya's and Uraraka's apartment. They're both gone at work of course, after assuring him he should make himself at home in their absence.

Shouto doesn't know what to do. So, he decides to make himself useful by cleaning. He finds cleaners, cloths, and dusters under the sink, as well as an ancient vacuum hidden in the closet. He tells himself he's just going to clean the dishes, scrub the kitchen and vacuum a bit. Before he knows it, he's hunting down dust bunnies under the furniture, rubbing the windows until the glass is spotless, and oiling the joints of the doors. The basket of dirty laundry is really tempting but he manages to hold himself back. It's not okay to touch his friends' underwear without their permission. It's _not_.

For the record, Shouto doesn't have a problem with dirt. He's not a neat freak, no matter what everyone in the dorm used to say.

"Wow," Midoriya says when he comes home, breathless as he catches sight of his kitchen. "What the hell. My sink is _shining_. I had no idea it could even_ do_ that."

"Welcome home," leaves Shouto's mouth before he can hold it back. The sheer domesticity of it makes him want to curl up on the floor in shame. Shouto is not in his goddamn house, greeting his spouse, and he needs to remember that.

He hasn't been here for twenty-four hours, and he's already messing it up. Fucking _feelings. _

"Ehe, I'm back!" Midoriya smiles widely, so brightly Shouto fears for the safety of his retinas. "Oh my god. You cleaned _everything._"

Shouto winces. He overdid it again. They never said Shouto could go ahead and invade their privacy so callously just because he was bored. "...Yes. I apologize for my rudeness. I didn't mean to overstep my boundaries."

"No, no, you didn't overstep anything, Todoroki-kun!" Midoriya denies earnestly. "I'm just genuinely astonished. I have never seen our place so clean and tidy before, ahaha! Thank you for your hard work."

"Oh," Shouto says, stupidly. "You're welcome?"

Midoriya inspects the windows and the floor, looking adorably enthusiastic and in awe. "That's so nice of you, but you really didn't have to! You're supposed to rest."

Shouto did rest. He rested so much Uraraka had to carry him to his futon like a toddler. How embarrassing. "I'm feeling fine, Midoriya."

"No offence, but I don't trust you that much with your own health, Todoroki-kun." His friend shakes his head, midway between disapproval and amusement. "We're very happy to have you, you know? You don't have to feel obligated to do all that stuff for us."

But he _does_. Shouto doesn't want to be a freeloader, living off Midoriya and Uraraka's kindness without giving anything in return. And it makes him foolishly, viciously satisfied to make Midoriya grateful. He did this. He made Midoriya happy.

"Does that mean I should throw away the meal I prepared?"

Midoriya literally lights up at the prospect. "Food? Homemade food? _Where_."

"In the fridge. I scrounged something up with what I found."

Midoriya chuckles sheepishly. "Yeeeah...we're not very well stocked, I admit. And Ochako always buys the cheapest stuff even though we can afford better. Old habits die hard, I guess."

It's understandable. Money is a complicated matter for Uraraka, for good reasons. Shouto doesn't mind. He made it a point to refuse any financial 'help' from his father, so he's not exactly living high on the hog either.

Midoriya opens the fridge curiously. Stares at the meal Shouto cooked. Closes the door. "Todoroki. Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"My sister taught me." Shouto blinks. Memories of quiet afternoons in the kitchens with Fuyumi flash in the back of his mind. "Why, does it look weird?"

Midoriya shakes his head with amused disbelief. "No. No, it looks really,_ really_ good. I hope you realizes this means Ochako is never letting you leave now."

Shouto snorts, skeptical. He has no doubt Uraraka can't wait to get him out of her way. Food or no food.

.

Ochako has been playing a game since she was old enough to read price tags. The game is called 'More Food For Less Money'. Basically, the point is to get a large amount of supply without paying much. Ochako and her parents are all very good at this game. They have been playing for a long time, after all. They know all about promotions and coupons.

Deku, however, isn't very good at the game. He just picks whatever attracts his fancy. 'Hey, this looks good, Ochako!' or 'Eeeeh, I haven't eaten pork in forever!', throwing expensive shit in her cart without paying much attention to the expense. It's physically painful for Ochako to keep her cool at his casual shopping habits. It's not Deku's fault that Ochako is weird about money. Intellectually, she knows they can absolutely afford it. She just can't help herself.

She honestly expected Todoroki to be worse than Deku, and had prepared herself for that eventuality. Todoroki is a _Todoroki_. He's a fancy posh kid, raised in luxury. She's not even resentful about it, it's just how it is. It's only natural he wouldn't go for the cheapest stuff. Or so she assumed.

The joke's on her, because her partner in today's grocery shopping got how she worked pretty fast and avoided the most expensive stuff without needing to be asked to. That was... a huge relief, really. Ochako didn't think she would have _fun _shopping with him.

"Soba, eh?" She chuckles when Todoroki returns to her cart with his arms full of boxes.

"I like soba. I'll pay for it, of course."

"Nah, I like soba too." Ochako laughs at the utter seriousness in his face. God, Todoroki needs to learn to chill. Pun intended. "What next?"

Todoroki squints at the list he wrote on his phone. "Meat?"

"Meat, it is!" Ochako cheers as she pushes her cart toward the cold aisle, resisting the urge to run. It's too bad she doesn't have the excuse of youth to justify her childish behavior. Ochako used to be good at cart racing, with her Quirk. "Do you want to go to the mall after we're done?"

"I need to buy a new phone and clothes. I can't keep borrowing Midoriya's underwear," Todoroki says. Ochako valiantly tries to ignore the unasked-for visual of a blank-faced Todoroki wearing her boyfriend's dorky underpants. Deku has so much All Might-themed underwear it's practically indecent. "You don't have to come with me, though."

Ochako grins. "Ehe, we're already here anyway. It's fine, I don't mind. So, what kind of meat, chief?"

Todoroki bends forward, staring at the different products with professional consideration. Ochako can't help the shudder of excitement running down her spine at the prospect of homemade meals. She _loves _food, but hates cooking, and neither she nor Deku have the time anyway. And Todoroki, surprisingly, is a really good cook. An appreciable bonus she didn't expect to get from their temporary arrangement.

"Beef?" He decides, handing the cut of his choice to her.

Ochako eyes the price suspiciously. It's not the really expensive stuff, but it's not cheap, either.

"I could make tonkatsu with that." Todoroki casually adds. "Your choice."

Oh god, she would literally die for tonkatsu. "Deal!"

Ochako is so happy she's almost bouncing with enthusiasm. She hadn't realized how much she missed homemade meals. They keep rolling down the aisle, chattering as they pick what they need at a leisure pace. Well. Ochako chatters, and Todoroki sometimes responds with more than a nod. It's fine, she doesn't mind carrying the conversation. She's used to it, really.

On their way to the cash register, Ochako stops at the biscuit aisle, biting her bottom lip as she glares at the sweet treats enviously. She's a grown ass woman, for fuck's sake. She can't be caught buying Pocky anymore.

"You like those things, right?" Todoroki says pensively. "I never tried it."

Ochako gasps with horrified disbelief. "You've never had Pocky?"

The man shrugs. "No. I wasn't allowed to as a kid."

"Not allowed to have _Pocky_. What the hell? What kind of travesty is this?" Ochako mumbles furiously to herself as she fills the cart with five different flavors.

Never had pocky. Ochako can't just let that kind of shit fly. This is _unacceptable. _

.  
.

There is something deeply soothing about meetings with Iida-kun. Usually, Izuku gets nervous talking with fellow pro heroes, considering the very high possibility of his babbling mouth getting him in trouble. It certainly wouldn't be the first time Izuku embarrassed himself because of his anxious habits.

But it's different with Iida. There is practically nothing about Izuku's awkward personality the former class representative hasn't seen before, and he's still his friend anyway. And such a good friend too. Izuku is very lucky to be surrounded by good people.

"And that's the extent of what we know about the villain Crimson," Iida declares as he closes the folder he brought with him. "I hope this is sufficient intel for you, Midoriya-kun."

Izuku nods along, already adding the new data to the profile he keeps in his head. There are strong suspicions this particular villain is involved in his current mission, and Iida has encountered him before. His input to Izuku's case is priceless. "Yes, thank you so much! It's very nice of you to come in person."

Iida straightens in his seat, puffs his chest, and adjusts his glasses. "But of course! I would do nothing less for my fellow heroes!"

Of course. Iida makes it sound so obvious, but Izuku knows for a fact most of his 'fellow heroes' certainly wouldn't do the same. Some consider their success more important than helping people or their colleagues. They would rather let a villain escape than risk doing a service to the 'competition.'

Their world can be harsh and unforgiving, at times. But that's the world Izuku chose to live in, knowing perfectly well what he was signing up for.

He smiles fondly at one of his oldest friends."I appreciate it nonetheless."

"You're very welcome. That being said, I must admit my visit isn't devoid of ulterior motives." Iida confesses, looking as serious as usual.

Izuku chuckles at the odd choices of words. How Iida-kun like. "You want news about Todoroki, is that it?"

"Well. Yes. If you don't mind."

Iida was the first on the scene after Todoroki's landlord contacted them indespair, and contacted Todoroki's insurance and his agency himself. He had seen first hand how fucked up the situation was. It's perfectly natural he would be concerned. It's just how Iida _is_, as a person and as a friend.

"He's doing great, considering the circumstances," Izuku answers honestly. "He hasn't started looking for new places yet, but we love having him around."

That... might not be exactly true. Todoroki _has_ brought up flats, but Izuku always manages to distract him from the matter when it comes up. There's no rush. Todoroki should take the time to rest. He deserves it.

"Really?" Iida-kun says, sounding hopeful and skeptical at the same time. "How's the cohabitation going?"

When they were still trying to figure out what to do with Todoroki, Iida expressed some reservation about their common friend moving in with him and Ochako. His concerns were valid, of course, but it was the best solution they figured out, and Iida eventually caved. Izuku doesn't think he should be worried about them though, Todoroki is nothing short of perfectly behaved. Honestly, Izuku is so happy to have him around. Not only because he cooks like a god, cleans the flat better than they ever did and doesn't take forever in the bathroom, _unlike Ochako_, but because Izuku _missed_ Todoroki. He just hadn't realized how much before he got to see his best friend on a daily basis again.

"Good?" He muses out loud, opening his bag and pulling its content out on the table. "Look, he makes us bentos!"

"Well." Iida stares at the adorable meal with appropriate admiration. "I hadn't expected Todoroki to be such a talented cook."

"Me neither!" He cheerfully puts the lid back on the box. "Frankly, he's an amazing roommate."

And there, he's doing it again. It's terrible. Izuku can spend hours gushing about Todoroki if he doesn't restrain himself. Ochako says it's the funniest thing ever, or she used to before he moved in. The joke's on her now, she can't stop waxing poetic about their elusive roommate and his cooking skills any more than he can.

"I see, that's a good thing," Iida replies pensively. "And... Uraraka-kun and Todoroki are going along?"

Izuku blinks, confused at the question. Sure, Ochako and Todoroki weren't exactly best friends before, but they did like each other, right? "I think so? Why?"

"No reason."

If there is a thing Iida isn't good at, it's lying. He's even worse of liar than Izuku is, and that takes skill. Izuku has to bite his cheek to stop himself from asking for clarification. No matter how curious and worried he feels about whatever Iida isn't telling him, he shouldn't pry.

He'll figure it out one way or another.

"You could come visit, Iida-kun," Izuku changes the subject with a friendly smile. "See for yourself we're not at each other's throats."

"That's not what I meant to imply, Midoriya-kun! But I would appreciate that. It's been a while since we all met up, after all."

True. The life of a hero is a busy one. Izuku finds himself longing for their UA days sometimes. Living together had been a very nice experience. "We should invite Tsuyu-chan too! Make it a party."

He knows Ochako misses her best friend. She hasn't said anything, but Izuku catches her staring at old UA photos occasionally.

"I'm looking forward to it!"

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* * *

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A/N: For those familiar with my Naruto fics, I used very similar tropes in other OT3. What can I say, I'm a one trick poney. PLease leave a review on your way out ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: three fishes in a tank

**Summary**: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.

**Disclaimers**: BNHA isn't mine. Chapter titles come from 'Till then my windows ache' from Pablo Neruda. Betad by KarmaHope

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* * *

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**Part II:** **Till you see me again**

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Shouto isn't half relieved to go back to work. Once he managed to make himself useful around the house, his two weeks of forced rest weren't so bad, but still. It's always nice to get back to business. Shouto is _so_ ready to let off some steam and wreck some villains today.

"Kagami. Get ready, we're going on patrol," he tells his intern once he's done going through the necessary paperwork that piled up on his desk in his absence.

When he doesn't get a reaction, he blinks curiously. His intern is usually very enthusiastic to do 'real hero stuff," and she's not afraid to show it. "... Kagami?"

The Shiketsu student doesn't answer right away, staring intently at the agency's entrance. Eventually, she lets out an awed: "_Uravity._"

Shouto turns his head to the side, following her line of sight, and indeed, there she is. Uraraka Ochako in the flesh, striding with confidence in her costume and smiling brightly at innocent bystanders.

"Oh my god. Uravity is here, _and she's coming our way,_" Kagami breathes. "How do I look? Entropy-san, please, do I look good?"

"You look fine." Shouto doesn't roll his eyes out of pure compassion.

_Nerds gotta nerd_, as Midoriya likes to laugh about his own fanboy tendencies. Personally, Shouto never got the whole 'hero worship' thing. He knows too much about the other side of the shining persona heroes presented to the world to be fooled. Whatever admiration he felt for All Might was beaten out of him as soon as his father realized.

However, as far as hero worship goes, Uravity isn't the worst to look up to. She's 'only' ranked number nineteen, but is already an icon for lots of aspiring females heroes. Rightfully so. The way she saved hundreds of people during that earthquake once is now legendary.

"Hey!" Uraraka chirps in greeting when she reaches his desk.

Shouto sees the exact moment his intern dies on the inside. He sighs. "Uraraka. What are you doing here?"

"You forgot your wallet." She gestures at her pocket. "I thought I should bring it to you."

He did. He couldn't find it despite looking everywhere in the flat this morning. "Thanks. Where did you find it?"

"The coffee table."

Strange. Shouto knows for a fact he looked there. Twice. He accepts the wallet she hands over without questioning her story. He can't think of any reason for Uraraka to lie. He must have missed it in his panic.

"Anyway." Uraraka turns toward his intern and smiles. "Hello! I'm Uraraka Ochako, nice to meet you!"

"_Iknowwhoyouare,_" Kagami said all at once, her face red with embarrassment, before abruptly shutting up.

It's not very charitable of him, but Shouto can't help but feel quite amused by the situation. He knows firsthand how strange people fangirling/fanboying about him can be. Uravity certainly deserves more appreciation, in any case. "This is my intern, Kagami. She's a fan."

"Eh, really?" Uraraka chuckles. "Thank you for your support, Kagami-chan! And please, take good care of Todoroki-kun."

Okay, it was funny until Uraraka managed to reverse the situation and embarrass _him_. He can already see the gears spinning wildly in his intern's busy little head. He has no doubt the rumor mill will soon be very active when he's not within earshot. "Uraraka, Midoriya, and I are temporary roommates."

"Yep!" Uraraka cheers, before adding sotto voce in Kagami's direction, "Don't spread it, but between you and I, your boss is kind of a neat freak."

"I'm not." Shouto glares at the grinning traitor while his intern giggles hysterically. "Don't you have better things to do?"

Uraraka laughs good naturedly, turning on her heels and waving back at them. "Fine, fine, I'm gone! See ya tonight Todoroki, and nice to meet you, Kagami!"

"Bye," Kagami whispers as she stares at her idol's retreating back. "Oh my god. _What the fuck just happened?_"

"Nothing. Come on, we're going on patrol."

Hopefully, if the gods take pity on Shouto, they'll stumble upon a villain. He could really use the outlet right now. There a tension within him, tugging on his nerves and throbbing in his chest, and he doesn't know what to do with it. He feels like he's fifteen again and pinning uselessly before accepting Midoriya would never reciprocate his awkward and unwelcome affections.

Sadly, they don't cross the paths of any villains or criminals. Not even a single pickpocket. Shouto would have been fine with a petty thief. Just one little fight. Is that so much to ask for?

They do, however, meet one Midoriya 'Oh! You're Patrolling In This Sector Too Todoroki? What A Odd Coincidence, Ahahaha!' Izuku. As if Shouto doesn't know Deku's patrol has no reason to overlap his.

He has to catch his intern from crumbling on the floor when The Deku shows up out of nowhere from the roof. Shouto is surrounded by drama queens.

.

All her muscles scream in agony and she's practically drowning in her own sweat. Her breath is escaping her control. Her heart beats like a hummingbird, its tiny wings fluttering against her ribs. There's a superficial burn on her arm and frost lingering on her leg. She's sure she looks like a filthy madwoman, but she can't be bothered to care.

Ochako feels great, alive, and she _loves _it. More than she should, most likely.

On the other side of the training room, Todoroki meets her heated glare and doesn't falter. He's as ruthlessly savage as she is in combat. Ochako has known Todoroki isn't the type to take prisoners, but wow. Knowing it and living it are two different things algother. He didn't try to hold back or coddle her at all, not even in the beginning.

Her blood warms excitedly at the thought of going at it again.

"Okay, I think that's it, guys," Deku cuts in. "Let's take a break."

Deku's soothing smile bursts the bubble of violent intensity. Todoroki's combat stance relaxes, and Ochako forces her fighting lust back where it came from. Damn, that was _something_.

"Are you okay?" Deku asks as he reaches them.

Ochako squints at her aching arm. It hurts, but it doesn't look too bad. She's had worse.

"Ehe, I'm fine!" She grins reassuringly. "'Tis just a little burn."

"Oh, I meant Todoroki-kun. You didn't go easy on him, Ochako."

Of course she didn't. Todoroki is a fierce opponent, and she wouldn't do him the offence of not giving her best. She stood no chance in hell to win otherwise.

And Ochako always aims to win.

"I'm alright." Todoroki says, his expression as closed off as usual, before wincing. "My back hurts a bit."

Yeeeeah. That one is on Ochako. She'd be surprised if he doesn't have an enormous bruise with the kick she gave him. 'A bit,' her ass. She'll have to spread bruise cream on his back tonight. Her bruise, her responsibility.

"That was _amazing_!" Deku declares, his eyes shining enthusiastically as he crooks one arm under hers and the other under Todoroki's and leads them outside the training room. "Todoroki-kun, when did you improve so much at using your fire and your ice at once? The way you made use of the difference in temperature to unsettle Ochako was so ingenious! I would have never thought of it…"

Typical Deku behavior. Uraraka smiles to herself as her boyfriend keeps mumbling excitedly about the match. Despite the pain, Todoroki seems content as well, glowing softly while Deku keeps on ranting about his Quirk.

"And you, Ochako! That kick blew my mind away!" Deku lightens up, turning her way. He deflates a bit at her amused chuckle. "Ah, sorry? I did it again."

"Nah, it's fine, you dork." Ochako kisses his cheek. "We don't mind you getting all hyped up. It's flattering, really. Right, Todoroki?"

She leans forward, winking at the man hanging on the other side of Deku. His face is unreadable, perhaps more than usual. Yet he still looks attractive as fuck, even sweaty and exhausted. Maybe more than before. Possibly because Ochako has a weakness for strong people who don't underestimate her.

"Yes."

Well. Ochako will take what she can get. One word is better than nothing, especially if he's agreeing with her.

"See? Todoroki agrees with me, therefore I'm right," she says, nudging Deku's side playfully. "How about we go home, take a shower while you make us some hot cocoa, and then you can tell us in detail how awesome we are?"

"O-cha-ko," Deku whines, but doesn't protest.

They end up spending the rest of the evening sprawled under the kotetsu. Deku waxes poetic about fighting styles and Quirk uses and barely restrains himself from making diagrams to prove his point., Ochako sips contently on her cocoa. Todoroki tries not to smile too obviously.

Spoiler alert: it's very obvious.

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In the last five years, Izuku has had a lot of time to ponder over the pros and cons of One For All.

Pros: gaining the power to help people as he always dreamt of, becoming a hero, getting a Quirk, having All Might's trust, flying, rocking it at Jungle Speed.

Cons: All For One, breaking his bones, All For One, the pressure of shouldering everyone's hopes, _All For One_.

Foolishly, Izuku assumed infection immunity was one of the pros. Surely One For All had the power to destroy those nasty microbes, right?

_Wrong. _

"Flu, probably." Ochako announces the diagnosis solemnly, removing her hand from his burning forehead.

"Noooo," Izuku moans into his pillow. He can't have the flu! He has stuff to do. People to save. Kittens to rescue. Bakugous to annoy.

He does know he's not going to be useful to anyone like this, he's not completely delusional yet. He shudders and shakes due to his fever. His joints scream in aching agony. His nose is so full of mucus he constantly feels two seconds away from suffocating. His throat is scraped raw from coughing all night and his belly twisted in nauseous knots. Not exactly young and hip hero material right there.

It's just unfair. Izuku hasn't been sick in five years. He honestly thought he had gotten a ticket off the sickness train, perpetually. What is this betrayal? Who's the terrible human being who shared their germs with him?

"I'll call your agency, but I can't stay." Ochako bites her bottom lip. "I have a very important meeting today. I think I can manage to come back mid-afternoon?"

Izuku tries to smile. It's fine. He can agonize in his bed on his own. She doesn't have to stay at his side. "Don't worry about me, Ochako. Go on with your life without me. You have so more to live for."

"Oh my god." The love of his life snorts mercilessly. "Don't be so dramatic. You're not going to die, Deku. Take your medicine, rest, and _hydrate._ I'll be back in a few hours."

"I can stay."

Izuku squints at the entrance of their bedroom. Todoroki leans against the frame, a cup of tea in his hand, wearing what looks like All Might pyjamas. Familiar ones. Oh wait, they're Izuku's. Damn, he's really out of it.

"Can you really, Todoroki?" Ochako perks up at the offer. "That would be ideal, but if you're busy…"

"No, it's fine. I have nothing planned that can't be done tomorrow, and my boss owes me rest days."

Izuku has to admit, the prospect of not spending his last day on Earth alone is a relief. "If you're sure…"

"Yes. I'm sure. I'll call my boss and Midoriya's and get him his meds. You can go, Uraraka. We know how important this meeting is to you."

"Thank you so much." Ochako bows slightly in gratefulness. "Call me if you need anything. Medication is in the top cabinet in the bathroom. Don't cover him too much. And please make sure he stays hy…"

"Hydrated, I know." Todoroki smiles before pushing her gently out of the room. "Go."

"Knock them dead, Ochako!" Izuku says, as loud as his swollen vocal cords can manage, before curling in a foetal position in his bed.

The barely audible noise of Todoroki padding around the flat, opening closets, and turning on the faucet is oddly soothing. Izuku thinks he passes out for a few minutes before his savior comes back with a Sickness Survivor Pack.

"Water," Todoroki declares as he puts the glass next to Izuku's head. "Painkillers. Tissues. And a bucket, just in case."

Considering how nauseous Izuku feels, it's probably for the best. He obediently swallows the pill and the water Todoroki hands him.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Go back to sleep."

Izuku goes back to sleep. Or a feverish version of slumber, at least. In his dreams,a blissfully cold hand pets his hair and strokes his forehead. It's nice. Izuku feels safe and loved.

Izuku wakes up feeling like shit, but safe and loved shit, and that's the important part.

.  
.

Late morning sunlight slants through the window, casting the living room in soft shades of yellow. Uraraka is knitting a beanie, humming along to the catchy pop song coming from the TV. Midoriya is sprawled on the floor, his head on her lap and a manga in his hands.

It's the fifth sunday they all have free from work, and once again, his two hosts seem content to just linger here in Todoroki's company.

"You two could go on a date," Shouto says, out of the blue.

It's not out of the blue to him, though. He's been thinking about it for a while now. Since he moved in almost three months ago, he hasn't seen Uraraka and Midoriya go outside to do... couple things. A movie. A restaurant. Whatever lovers do when they want to go out together. Todoroki wouldn't know, he's only indulged in disastrous one night-stands.

They must have stopped because of Todoroki's presence, and that's not okay.

The regular sounds of Uraraka's knitting needles clicking together and Midoriya turning pages cease. "Huh," Uraraka says. "I guess we could?"

Todoroki lets go of the breath he'd been holding. That's great. They deserve to have moments of their own. He doesn't mind spending his Sunday afternoon alone. He's used to it.

On the other side of the table, Uraraka puts her needles and half-done work down and rests her chin on her palm. "Where would you like to go, Todoroki-kun?"

He can only stare at her, dumbfounded. Go? Why is she asking where _he _would like to go?

"It's still cold outside," Shouto hears the sound of Midoriya muttering out loud coming from Uraraka's lap. "Movies?"

His girlfriend grimaces visibly at the proposal. "Absolutely not. I don't trust your cinematographic tastes."

Midoriya sits up, puffed up with indignation. "Hey! Just because you don't like romcoms doesn't mean I have bad tastes."

"You do too." She sticks her tongue at him. "You cried the last time we went to the theater."

"Do not, and you picked a scary movie on purpose!"

"Do too, it's not my fault you're a chicken, Deku-kun."

"Do not, Todoroki can pick the movie."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

They both turn to their guest, glaring fiercely at him. By now, Todoroki is familiar enough with their banter to make out the difference between pretend and real arguments. Considering the way Uraraka is biting her lip to stop herself from smirking and the amused light in Midoriya's eyes, he's confident neither of them actually care about movies.

But still. He feels pressured right now.

"I... have no preference?" He eventually says.

"Ugh, Todoroki," Uraraka grunts. "Fine, no movies. Bowling?"

"We're forbidden to go back there, remember?" Midoriya flicks his hands dismissively. "I'm pretty sure all the bowling clubs warned each other about us."

Todoroki knows he shouldn't ask, but, he can't stop himself from probing. No matter what trashy tabloids like to claim, he isn't a robot devoid of curiosity. "What did you do to get blacklisted from bowling?"

"Ochako threw her ball on the ceiling." Midoriya laughs while Uraraka rolls her eyes.

"Deku-kun broke the alley."

The chuckle bubbles out of his chest and escapes his mouth. Backlisted. From _bowling_. Only these two agents of chaos could manage that. And people think Bakugou is the dangerous edgelord of their class!

"Let's say it was a common effort and leave it at that." Midoriya shrugs sheepishly. "What about karaoke?"

At that, Uraraka shakes her head and pats the top of his head, ruffling green curls. "Izuku, sweetie. Listen, I know you think you can sing, but you really _can't_. Todoroki, back me up here."

Well. Admittedly, Todoroki has a huge bias toward the object of his affections, 'as though the sun shines out his ass,' Jirou once tactfully said, but he can't deny Uraraka has a point. Midoriya sings very loudly in the bath, and while he certainly has _enthusiasm_, he's not very good at it. "Hm."

"See, Todoroki agrees with me." Uraraka smiles smugly, taking the liberty to interpret his lack of answer as endorsement. "So no karaoke. Aquarium? You like fish, right?"

Todoroki blinks at her, taken aback. He does, actually. The only animals he was allowed to interact with as a child were the koi in the pound. For a given value of 'interact.' He liked sitting on the bridge, watching the fish swim as he threw bread crumbs in the water. He has no idea how Uraraka knows about that, though.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Ochako!" Midoriya perks up. "I haven't been to an aquarium since I was eight."

"It's settled, then."

They leave after lunch. Todoroki can't find the courage to tell them he didn't mean to include himself in their date. Not with the bright smile Midoriya sends his way when he lends his coat to Todoroki. Not with the wink Ochako sends him, silently daring him to back out.

The aquarium, it is.

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.

The shades of blue light emitted by the giant aquarium cast an eerie glow on Todoroki's face. Ochako is hit by the heart-shattering beauty of his features, mesmerized by the way the few strands of hair sticking out from under his beanie gleam under the dimmed light and by the peacefulness of his expression. She should be used to it by now. She remembers loathing his beautiful face, so pretty and so tragic, like the protagonist of a fairy tale. She remembers hating how he smiled when he looked at Deku, as if the other boy lit him up just by existing. She remembers the shame twisting her belly at her pettiness.

So yes. She's perfectly aware Todoroki is prettier than she is, and she's fine with that. Still, sometimes she looks at him and it's like she's seeing again for the first time. It feels like a suckerpunch to the chest.

They're sitting on a bench in front of the giant tank, waiting for Deku. He always takes forever because he won't leave until he reads every single information billboard available. Thankfully, Todoroki doesn't seem to mind his dorkiness, content to watch the fish of different sizes and colors dance in the water.

And apparently, Ochako is content to watch _him _instead of the main attraction she paid for.

"Mama, Mama, look!" She hears the excited voice of child from behind her. "It's_ Entropy_."

Ochako winces. Ah, busted so soon. When they go out as civilians, they always take care to disguise themselves, but some fans recognise their idol under any circumstances. Todoroki, despite the beanie and scarf she gave him, is pretty recognisable.

She tilts her head, catching sight of the little boy gaping at them, and gestures for him to come closer. He runs toward them, his mother following bemusedly.

"Hi there, sweetie," she greets Todoroki's cute little fan sotto voce. "Entropy is here incognito. Could you do us a favor and keep the secret, please?"

The kid nods vigorously and whispers very loudly, "Of course!"

"We saw nothing, Uravity-san." his mother adds, amused. "Have a nice day."

"Wait," Todoroki says. "Your hand."

The boy's eyes go wide wide with disbelief as he stretches his arm and opens his palm in front of his hero. Todoroki's right hand hovers over, and a single snowflake falls. He gently adds: "Thank you."

The kid is almost crying when his mother steers him away, clenching his fist over his chest, and Ochako honestly can't blame him.

"You big softie." She nudges Todoroki's side, her heart swelling with fondness.

Todoroki doesn't try to defend himself. The way he leans against her is more devastating than any comeback he could have said.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm here!" Deku appears in front of them. "Something happened?"

"Todoroki got himself a fan." Ochako manages to say, her throat tight with inexplicable emotion. "You ready?"

Her boyfriend eyes them suspiciously, but thankfully doesn't question it. "Yep."

They walk toward the exit, Deku's arm draped over her shoulder and her gloved hand resting in the crook of Todoroki's elbow. The latter stops for half a second in middle of the aquarium shop, smiling softly at the plushies displayed.

She and Deku look at each other.

"I'm buying it."

"What? _Ochako_, I saw it first!"

"No, I did! I'll buy Todoroki a plushie."

"Not if I buy it first!"

Todoroki puts his hand to his forehead, his cheeks painted pink with embarrassment. "Why are you two like this? I don't need a giant shark plushie."

No, he needs _two _giant sharks plushies. Ochako draws freckles with a Sharpie on the cheeks of hers, knots a green rabbit ribbon over its head, and nicknames it Fishzuku. Izuku promptly retaliates by painting pink dots on the cheeks and flippers of his, adding star-shaped stickers on its back and proudly calling his creation _Osharko_.

Whatever. Fishzuku is obviously the superior shark, and Todoroki's favorite.

.

.

There are plants by the window, neatly tucked in their respective pots and living glorious lives of resting under the sunlight. They're Izuku's plants. His mom gifted them to him when he moved out, and he has yet to kill them. He doesn't do much around the house, he has to admit, but gardening is _his_ thing. The routine of trimming and watering soothes his nerves when his anxiety flares up.

That's what he does when his thoughts get out of control, throbbing in his head, twisting his guts, tugging on his tendons, shuddering, shaking, wrecking everything in their mad dance. The road down to the land of good ol' Anxiety is a familiar one. Izuku always ends up spiralling, obsessing, ruminating, _thinking_.

So. Plants. They help, if only a bit.

A key turns in the door, interrupting his self-pitying musings. Izuku puts down his watering can, immediately alert. It's barely six pm. Neither Todoroki nor Ochako comes home so early.

"... Still can't believe you live with Uravity _and _Deku!" He recognizes the excited voice of Todoroki's intern as the door opens.

"You do realize I'm a high-rank pro-hero as well?" Todoroki replies, sounding more amused than offended.

Izuku hears the sounds of shoes being hastily removed. "Yeah, yeah, but it's different. I know you. You're a huge dork."

Izuku can't help barking a laugh at that. Todoroki's intern is hilarious. She's perfect for his best friend, regardless of what he likes to grumble about her terrible attitude.

"_Oh my god!_" The young girl whispers with rising panic. "_You said Deku wouldn't be here!_"

"I thought he wouldn't be," Todoroki says flatly, sounding deeply unimpressed by her plight. Izuku tries to smile normally when his roommate barges in the living room. "Hello Midoriya, you're home early. My intern needs to pee. I assumed you wouldn't mind."

"_Don't say it like that_." Kagami-chan hisses from her hiding position behind her mentor's back.

Izuku points to his right. "No problem! Bathroom is that way."

The teen disappears quickly down the corridor, muttering a barely audible "Thanks" in Izuku's general direction. Very relatable. He wonders how she would react if she learnt Deku is even weirder than she is.

"You're home early," Todoroki comments once his intern closes the door behind her. "Did something happen?"

Ah. Todoroki won't be fooled by empty smiles, will he? He knows Izuku too well for that. "Yeah," Izuku says. "I don't really want to talk about it, to be honest."

He knows Todoroki won't hold it against him. He understands how exhausting words are sometimes. Right now, Izuku wants to curl up in bed, hug Osharko, fade between the sheets and stop _fucking_ _thinking already_.

Todoroki nods. And then._ Blushes_? "Alright. Do you... do you want a hug?"

Izuku gapes in disbelief. Did Todoroki just offer to initiate physical contact with him? Usually Izuku is the one doing that, and Todoroki stoically endures his best friend's displays of affection. "Actually. Yes?"

Todoroki leans forward. It's awkward, because they're both very awkward people, yet unbelievably comforting. Todoroki arms encircle him softly, gently, as if Izuku is something fragile to be treated with caution, his hands rubbing soothingly against Izuku's back. Izuku allows himself to melt into the embrace, his head resting on the taller man's shoulder.

"Thanks," Izuku mumbles into the crook his neck.

"Anytime."

"Oh my god," Kagami-chan says dramatically, putting her hand over her eyes. "Can you please not be so gay while I'm _right there_?"

"It's just a hug," Todoroki sighs, breaking the embrace. "Are you done?"

"_Yes_."

Izuku smiles brightly at her, and just to be little shit, loudly smacks Todoroki's ass. He already knows he'll regret it later when he obsesses over how muscled that butt is, but the dying sound the intern makes is worth the pain. "I'll be as gay as I want to be in my own house, Kagami-chan!"

Todoroki won't meet his eyes was he directs his gobsmacked student out of the room. "See you later, Midoriya."

Ah. Maybe he went too far this time?

.

.  
"_Hello_?"

"... Hello."

"_Shouto! I'm so happy to hear you!_"

"Yes, me too."

"_How are you, dearest? I heard what happened with your flat. Fuyumi kept me updated_."

The endearment rolls of her tongue, slips straight into his swelling heart. Shouto likes hear her calling him sweet names. Dear. Darling. Sweetie. Such demonstrations of weakness weren't allowed when he was an actual child.

"... I'm sorry I didn't call you before."

"_No, no, it's fine. You were busy, I understand. Don't worry about me, please. Tell me how you're doing instead._"

How is he doing? Honestly, Shouto doesn't know. He feels lost. Drifting. His life used to be pretty straightforward before his flat burnt down. He went to work. He trained. He saw his friends or his siblings when they called. He tried not to think too much about Midoriya. Simple. Now his landmarks are in shambles, and he has no idea what he's doing or where he's going.

But he also knows that no matter how confused he is, he's happier than he used to be. He would have left the flat otherwise.

"_You're living with Midoriya-kun and Uraraka-san, aren't you?_"

"Yeah."

"_I see. It must be hard for you._"

Not so long ago, Shouto was a fifteen year old with unwanted desires blooming in his heart and no clue what to do with them. He laid awake at night, staring at the ceiling, trying not to think of gentle scarred hands, wobbling grins, and nervous voices; wasting away, aching, _pining_.

Despite his attempts to smother it, the feelings grew and grew, until Shouto suffocated under the strength of them. He needed to talk about it. To someone he trusted, but completely unrelated to the root of the problem. So he told his mother. She would never babble about his private life to anyone. She would _understand_.

She spent the next year trying to convince him to talk about it with Midoriya. By the time he worked out the courage to confess, Uraraka had acted first. There was nothing to be done.

Shouto moved on. Not from his feelings for Midoriya, he doubted those would ever have the decency to go away, but from his hopes to actually have them returned. Uraraka and Midoriya were happy therefore, so was Shouto. By extension. Sort of.

Considering their history, it's not surprising his mother is concerned about him living with his crush and his crush's significant other.

"It's alright."

It's not alright. It might even be worse than before. Now Shouto lays awake at night thinking of green light and brown glow, of wicked smirks and butter-melting grins, of soft blankets and affectionate hugs.

"I'm doing okay."

He's not. He doesn't know how he's doing, but it's certainly not _okay_. He knows the longer he stays, the longer he allows himself to believe he belongs there, the more it will hurt when it inevitably comes to an end. Shouto is such a fool and he's going down with his delusions.

"It's nice to live with other people again."

Background noise and giggles instead of complete silence. Smell of strawberry shampoo and cooking filling the room, covering the blandess he's used to. It's not all good stuff. Deku always forgets to note what he finishes in the fridge and can't be trusted to refill the toilet paper stock. Ochako spends hours in the bathroom and is actually dangerous to interact with before she drinks her first coffee of the day.

But it's still way, way better than the loneliness.

"_If you're happy, then so am I._"

"Yes. I'm happy."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: three fishes in a tank

**Summary**: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.

**Disclaimers**: BNHA isn't mine. Chapter titles come from 'Till then my windows ache' from Pablo Neruda. Betad by KarmaHope.

**SMUT ALERT**: I've officially fallen on the sinful side of the fandom. In my defense, it was necessary to the plot. For real. It's relatively mild in my personal opinion, but for those you wish to skip it, smut is in Uraraka's second POV, starts with 'water rolls' and ends with 'he goes,' basically the entire part. I'll put a summary so you can still follow the story. .

**SPOILER**: basically Ochako dirty talk Izuku about Todoroki, he gets way too much into it and freaks out.

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* * *

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**Part III: and live in me**

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.

It shouldn't surprise Shouto that Midoriya's foot is barely less scarred than his hands. There isn't a single appendage this crazy man hasn't broken before, or at the very least severely maimed.

"Hold him down, Todoroki-kun," Uraraka orders, looking serious and determined as fuck. "I can't work if he keeps squirming like this."

Shouto obediently leans over Midoriya's leg, pressing the muscled calf to the floor. Midoriya wriggles more vigorously against the oppression while Ochako clicks her tongue with mock irritation.

"Todoroki-kun," Midoriya pleads, his green eyes wide with panic. It's a very convincing face, except Shouto can see clear as day how hard he's trying not to grin. "Todoroki-kun, don't let her do this to me. _Save me_."

It's all for show, yet Shouto's heart skips a beat nonetheless. Save me. Midoriya has no mercy on him. They all know that if the Number Five Hero wanted to get away, he would have done so long ago.

"Don't listen to him, Todoroki," Uraraka retorts. "Deku, the sooner you stop struggling, the sooner it will be over and we can all go on with our lives."

By Midoriya's foot, Uraraka dramatically pulls out her weapon and unscrews the cap. Her boyfriend gasps at the sight. "Leave my feet alone, Ochako! They didn't do anything to you!"

"Listen, I bought this nail polish because it's the exact same color as your hair." She pouts, shaking the forest green varnish pot for emphasis. "So you're going to wear it, and you're going to _like it_."

"Nooooo!"

"Deku, it's just your feet. No one is going to see it unless you go around exposing your pretty legs. And I painted my nails too! We're going to match! You don't want us to match?"

Wow, that was a low blow. Whoever is still convinced Uraraka Ochako is a pure angel needs to think again. This woman is devious.

"Okay, fine." Deku concedes, before smirking at Shouto. "But only if Todoroki matches us too."

"Deal."

What?

.

Unsurprisingly, Todoroki is as quiet sleeping as he is awake. He barely makes any noise and doesn't take much room, his arms neatly folded against his chest and his legs tucked under the kotatsu. Deku, on the other hand, is a noisy bitch. He constantly tosses and turns, stealing the covers and mumbling nonsense in his sleep. He managed to back poor Todoroki in the corner. Osharko, laying between them both, is the only barrier left stopping Deku from smothering Todoroki to death.

Well. Ochako can think of worse ways to die.

The flat is quiet now, aside from Iida's snoring and Deku's sporadic muttering. It's a sharp contrast to the liveliness of the room a few hours ago. Ochako likes this post-party atmosphere. The air smells like alcohol and food. The table is buried beneath empty bottles, snacks, and the remains of their hot pot. Sleepiness buzzes underneath her eyelids as her lightheadness slowly recedes.

Ochako takes a gulp of water from her glass. Hydratation is the partier's best friend. Those three will regret they didn't drink enough water when they wake up.

The door of the bathroom opens. Tsuyu comes out, padding softly back into the living room. "Ochako-chan, I'm ready, ribbit," she whispers. "Are you sure it's okay for me to sleep in your bed?"

Ochako grins and gestures at her sleeping boyfriend, who has somehow managed to throw his arm over Todoroki's side when she wasn't looking. "It's fine. I don't think Deku-kun is going to move any time soon."

Tsuyu eyes the three boys laying on the floor: first Iida, sleeping on his back with Fishzuku nestled under his arm, then Deku and Todoroki. She doesn't say anything about how close the two men are to each other, and Ochako is very grateful for that. Tsuyu can be quite blunt with her opinions sometimes.

Ochako rises onto her feet, stretching her back and her arms. The drunkenness is still there, like a dull thrill under her skin. She turns off the light when she leaves the room, Tsuyu following in her steps.

Her and Deku's bedroom is easily the messiest room of the flat, as it's the only room free of Todoroki's compulsive cleaning habits. There are dirty clothes on the floor and books laying on every available surface. Ochako likes her chaotic den the way it is.

"Make yourself comfortable, Tsuyu-chan!" She says as she rummages through her closet for a sweatshirt. She's not even surprised to find Todoroki's deep blue hoodie. Good enough. "Do you need anything else?"

"I'm good." Her best friend shakes her head.

Ochako puts the hoodie on and crawls onto her side of the bed. She sleeps near the window. Deku gets nervous when he isn't the closest to the the door. After a moment of hesitation, Tsuyu slides under the sheet, resting her head where Deku's usually is.

It's been forever since they slept in the same bed. They used to, back in UA. When Ochako had nightmares, she would creep into Tsuyu's room for human comfort. Her best friend never turned her down, no matter the hour.

Tsuyu lays on her back, staring at the ceiling. Ochako doesn't need to turn her head to know she's watching the glowing planet-shaped stickers arranged in constellations. Ochako has always slept with star stickers on her ceiling, and she's not going to stop now she's a grown up. Deku likes them too.

"Alright. You can ask, Tsuyu-chan." Ochako sighs, burying her head in her pillow. "I know you're dying to."

Tsuyu tilts her head to the side. "Are you okay?"

Ochako could pretend she doesn't understand what her friend means, but it's Tsuyu. She was there when Ochako figured out how she felt about Deku. She listened when Ochako spilled poison about Todoroki. There is no point trying to fool her. And Ochako does want to talk about what the fuck is happening. "About Todoroki? I think so. I know it's weird, but, yeah. I like him living with us."

Tsuyu makes a humming sound. "Todoroki is still in love with Midoriya."

Oh, dear Tsuyu-chan. Never one to beat around the bush. "Yep."

To her, Todoroki's love for Deku is so obvious she wonders how other people can miss it. It's just _right there_. Todoroki smiles at Deku in a way he doesn't at anyone else. Softly. Adoringly. As if the only thing holding him back from falling on his knees and worshiping the object of his affection is self-consciousness and social norms. It's impossible not to see it.

"And Midoriya is in love with Todoroki."

Yes. He is. Though he has yet to realize it, the idiot. However, the thought doesn't wake the usual wave of bitterness. "Probably even more than before, ahaha."

There's a pause. "And you're… alright with that, ribbit?"

Honestly, Ochako is the most astonished. She likes having Todoroki around. She likes sharing her home, her intimacy with him, the man lusting after her boyfriend. She just likes _him_.

The truth is, falling in love with Deku is as easy as breathing. Ochako does it all the time. She falls when he rambles about her quirk, glowing with excitement. She falls when he smirks cockily, his thumbs rolling over her hips. She falls when he sobs in her arms, wrecked with sadness and regret. She falls because he's _Deku_, and she doesn't know to function otherwise.

_Staying_ in love with Deku, however… That's another story. That takes effort, and sacrifices. It's lonely sometimes, to be the companion of a man whose heart belongs to the world. He doesn't mean to hurt her, of course he doesn't, but it hurts nonetheless to know his top priority will never be her. She understands. She knew from the beginning what she was signing up for.

But it does hurt. It hurts like a bitch when she reads entire articles about how she isn't good enough for the beloved Number Five. It hurts when she comes home to an empty house. It hurts when people recognize her as Deku's girlfriend, not as the pro-hero Uravity. There's a reason she refused to join Deku's agency.

(The unbearable weight of her locket against her chest.)

Since Todoroki moved in, she hasn't been lonely. He gets it. She's got someone to share the blessing and the burden that is Midoriya Izuku's love.

"Do you like him? Todoroki, that is." Tsuyu adds, after a minute of silence.

Does she? She finds him attractive, there is little doubt about that, but she already did back when she hated him. Todoroki's beauty is just a fact of life. Impossible to ignore. That's not love though. Love is quiet afternoons in the kitchen and warm evenings under a shared blanket. Love is bickering about TV shows or who forgot to buy toilet paper (Deku. It's always Deku.).

Love is seriously wondering where she would bury Endeavor's body.

"Probably. It's weird, isn't it?" Ochako whispers.

Tsuyu hums in denial, reaching out for her hand as if they were giggling fifteen year olds again. "I don't think so. You're happier, Ochako-chan. And as long as you're all happy, it's nobody's business what you do with your love life."

But it _is _though. If… whatever is building up between them actually happens, it'll be _everyone's _business. Because she's Uravity, he's Entropy, and he's _Deku_. Their love life will be watched, commented and judged even more than it already is.

The question is: is she ready to take that risk?

She could let Todoroki go. They keep distracting him when he mentions moving out, but he'll be out at the slightest encouragement. She imagines Todoroki leaving their house, thinks of his empty room, of only two toothbrushes in the bathroom. The vicious beast nested in her belly claws at her insides with dread and fury at the thought.

No. He can't leave. He just can't. He belongs here, with them.

And Ochako will stop at nothing to ensure Todoroki stays right where he's supposed to be.

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The scent wakes Izuku up. It's bitter, musky, corrosive, tickling his throat and sliding into his lungs. It smells like broken fingers, teenage rebellions, and comings of age. It smells like blue monsters eating forests and terrified children.

Fire smoke.

It's coming from Todoroki's room, Izuku notices as he throws himself out of bed. One for All's familiar power flares up beneath his skin in response to his growing panic.

He slams open the door of the spare room. Todoroki is laying in his futon, fretting between the sheets, moaning with pain, his left side on fire. In the middle of a nightmare, Izuku realizes, horrified.

"Todoroki-kun!" Izuku screams, getting on his knees by his friend's side. He barely pays attention to the harrowing heat radiating off Todoroki. "Todoroki-kun, _wake up_."

The other man doesn't wake, his tremors only getting stronger. Izuku has no other choice but to shake him, his Quirk cloaking his fingers to protect him from the fire. Thankfully, that seems to do the trick. Todoroki's eyes snap open, blurry with confusion. "Mi-Midoriya?"

"Your Quirk. Turn off your Quirk," Izuku orders curtly.

To his credit, despite his disorientation, Todoroki understands what the problem is fairly quickly. The fire on his left side dies down, and he sends a wave of frost over the futon for good measure. It's probably not the first time this situation has happened to him.

Izuku lets out a relieved sigh, crumpling by Todoroki's side. The futon is ruined, but thankfully the fire didn't spread further.

"Midoriya, I'm so sorry," Todoroki says, his hands shaking in his lap. "I swear I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't," Izuku cuts in. "You were having a nightmare. It's not your fault."

"I'll-I'll pay you back. For the futon."

Izuku honestly can't give less of a shit about that old, beat up mattress. They needed to change it anyway. What he does care about is the panic burning in Todoroki's eyes. As if he's genuinely expecting Izuku to throw him into the streets in the middle of the night for making a mistake.

"Todoroki. Fuck the futon." Izuku tells him, staring straight at his face. "Are _you _okay?"

Todoroki looks down at his burnt tee-shirt and the tremors on his arms. He forces himself to calm down, his hands relaxing over his legs. "I am unharmed."

"Alright, that's what matters," Izuku says, smiling reassuringly. "C'mon, get up. We'll sleep in my room, 'kay?"

"Oh. I can sleep in the living room?" His best friend replies hesitantly.

Izuku gets up, dragging a bemused Todoroki with him. "Don't be silly Todoroki-kun, I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor when there is enough room for two in my room. Unless you _really_ don't want to sleep with me, aha?"

Ochako is on the graveyard shift tonight, so Izuku has the room to himself. And even she _was_ here, their bed is big enough to host three people. She insisted on buying a king-sized mattress when they moved in, since Deku 'is a nuisance in his sleep.' It's not his fault if he snuggles his bedmates unconsciously. He doesn't mean to. Maybe that's why Todoroki is reluctant to follow him.

"No. That's not… what I meant. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Izuku asks, genuinely puzzled. Friends can sleep in the same bed, right? It's not that weird, right? Ochako sleeps with Tsuyu-chan, and that's not weird.

Todoroki can't find anything to fight that foolproof logic. Clearly, this is the best solution, and Izuku wants to go back to sleep already. Therefore, he feels entitled to throw Todoroki over his shoulder. He quickly regrets his impulsive decision. Todoroki's tee shirt didn't survive the combustion, and Izuku finds himself in close contact with his best friend's bare chest. Two AM Izuku has the worst ideas and cannot be trusted. Thank the lord the pants are still holding on.

Ah. Haha. Well, there is no other way than onward. He starts walking back to his room, his charge squirming over his shoulder.

"Mi-Midoriya?" Todoroki hisses to his back. "What are you _doing_?"

"Taking you to bed," Izuku replies with too much cheerfulness. He does that when he's freaking out on the inside, sometimes.

Todoroki doesn't have anything to say to that. For a second, Izuku fears his hostage is going to carbonize him for daring to lay a hand on his person. His shoulder is burning, and there's steam rising from Todoroki's leg.

They make it to Izuku's bedroom without anyone dying, an exploit worth mentioning. Izuku gently lets Todoroki down onto the bed and tries very hard not to look at his exposed chest on display. Friends don't gaze friends' nipples. It's not a thing that happens.

"You didn't have to do that," Todoroki mumbles darkly, staring sideways.

"You're right. Next time, I'll carry you bridal style." Izuku chirps. Oh god. What is he _saying_? Perhaps all those people telling him he has no sense of self-preservation have a point after all.

He finds a tee-shirt to throw at Todoroki. They often end up sharing each other's clothes anyway. Especially Ochako. She _loves _to steal their things.

Todoroki removes the remains of his top, puts the tee-shirt on, and slides under the covers, all while avoiding looking at Izuku. It's possible Izuku pushed too hard again. Izuku has always had trouble with not crossing the line of Todoroki's boundaries. He tries, he really does, but Todoroki is complicated to read, and there is something within Izuku that always wants _more_. Something violent. Something scary. Something _scared_.

He turns off the light. Ochako's stars twinkle on the ceiling.

"Hey," he whispers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?" Todoroki says, his voice raw.

"The nightmare."

A silence. "... I dreamt of Touya."

Touya. Not Dabi. Sometimes, Izuku finds it hard to see the red-haired boy in the pictures as the same person as the dangerous villain locked in prison for arson, kidnapping and murder. It must even harder for Todoroki.

"I don't really want to talk about it," Todoroki adds.

"That's fine."

Izuku is good at not talking about things. Izuku _aces _at not talking about things. Like the purring thrill throbbing in his chest at the sight of Todoroki in his bed, wearing his clothes. Or the fact he's picturing Ochako snuggled on his other side, trapping Todoroki between them.

Izuku is _fine _not talking about that.

He wakes up with his calf thrown over Todoroki's hip and his nose tucked between white and red strands, Ochako staring down mockingly at him.

"'Chako," he mumbles. "Bed burn'."

She cocks an eyebrow. "What was that again?"

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One week after the fire incident, Shouto wakes up with a boner pressed to Uraraka's lower back and comes to the realization he can't be trusted to live with them anymore. Thankfully, she sleeps deep enough she didn't notice him rutting against her unconsciously, and doesn't wake up when he rushes to the bathroom, either.

A week. Shouto has been sharing their bed for a week now, and every night is both heaven and hell. They said they would buy a new bed, that he shouldn't worry about it, and Shouto was stupid enough to let himself get dragged between them every evening. There's no going back from that now. Even if he moves back to his room, he'll never forget the purring noise Uraraka makes when she settles on the mattress and the weight of Midoriya's arm across his belly.

The illusion of intimacy is poisoning his mind and Shouto needs to leave before he does something foolish. He knows it'll happen. One day, Shouto is going to forget his place, and he'll ruin everything. Perhaps he'll press his lips to the creamy patch of skin on the back of Uraraka's neck. Perhaps he'll caress the lovely freckles on Midoriya's shoulders. Perhaps he'll kiss them goodbye. God knows he's thought about it before.

There's no other solution if he wants to keep their friendship relatively intact. He _has_ to leave.

"I'm going to look for a new flat," Shouto announces at dinner.

Midoriya reacts by almost spitting out his water. Uraraka hands her boyfriend a tissue, smiling serenely over her fried rice. "Of course, Todoroki-kun! Do you have an appointment planned already?"

Shouto stares at her bright grin suspiciously. "Yes. This Sunday."

They meet each other's eyes and share a flash conversation Shouto is not privy to. "Great! We'll be there. Right, Deku-kun?"

"Huhu, yeah!"

"You don't need to," Shouto tries, knowing perfectly well there is no convincing those two to step down when they decide something.

"Three pairs of eyes are better than one." Uraraka smiles, silently daring him to contradict her logic.

It's sound logic. Shouto cannot think of any good reason to refuse. And so they all go on Sunday. On the first flat they visit, Midoriya declares: "This is one is a bit far from your agency, isn't it?"

The second is deemed "Too small" by Uraraka.

"Have you seen the bathroom? It looks like it's coming straight from the 1980's."

"There's no parking. I know you don't have a car, but how are _we _going to visit you?"

"Where's the light? Growing boys need sunlight, Todoroki-kun."

"I don't like the face of the landlord. They don't seem very trustworthy."

"Violet paint doesn't fit your aesthetic."

In the end, Todoroki comes home flat-less, blacklisted from most of the estate agencies intown, and an agent of chaos hanging on each arm, chattering happily about the meal Shouto is going to cook tonight.

.

.

Water rolls gently over her breasts as Ochako takes a deep breath, settling herself comfortably against Deku's chest. She loves taking long baths, loves immersing herself in steaming water, loves feeling _clean_. It's a shame she hardly has the time to nowadays.

Her thumb plays idly over Deku's leg, rubbing circles on his knee and following the lines of his scars. Her boyfriend shudders at the touch, letting out a sigh against her hair. She smiles.

"Say, Deku. I don't mean to criticize, but_ 'violet paint doesn't fit your aesthetic'_? Really?"

Deku groans hopelessly. "I _know_. I panicked, okay?"

Ripples undulate over the surface of water when she laughs at his mournful tone. Only Deku. She lays the back of her head on the crook of his neck, stretching against his torso. There is a bump pulsing softly against her lower back. Well, well. That's to be expected. They haven't had sex in two weeks after all. It's kind of hard to with Todoroki sleeping in their bed.

She rolls her hips tentatively. The answering moan tells her everything she needs to know.

"_Ochako_."

She tilts her head upward, smiling coyly. "Something the matter?"

"Ochako, don't," Deku says pleadingly. "Todoroki is _right there_."

It's a valid concern. The door between the bathroom and the living room isn't particularly well soundproofed. Ochako _could_ tell Deku Todoroki left to jog while he was preparing their bath. Instead, she shifts in his arms, sitting over his thigh, her breasts rubbing against his arm and her knee gently teasing his crotch. She whispers into his ear. "I guess we'll have to be discreet then."

A tremor shakes Deku's entire body. They both know that's not likely to happen. All in all, Ochako is pretty silent until she comes, but Deku is loud enough for two. He whines and moans and _screams_.

Her hand slips under the water, slowly, teasingly, Deku's wide eyes fixated on her. She touches the tip of his cock first, rejoicing at the panting sounds he makes, then curls her palm over the shaft. Deku's body is as familiar as her own by now. She knows every crook, every curve, every sensitive trigger zone. If his flesh is an instrument, then Ochako is its musician. She knows exactly what to do to make him sing.

"C'mon, Deku-kun." She grins, biting the lobe of his ear tantalizingly. "You're not making an effort here. It's like you _want _Todoroki to hear you."

Deku freezes at her provocation. She feels his cock twitch tellingly between her fingers. His eyes are dark, his pupils dilated to the edge of his iris, like night swallowing the green. "_Ochako_. Ochako, I…"

"Maybe he's listening right now." She interrupts his incoming apology. Ochako doesn't want misplaced guilt to ruin the moment. This is important. "He tried to ignore it at first, but you're so, _so_ loud, Deku-kun."

Deku lets out an animalistic growl, proving her right. Warmth spreads in her belly, twisting her insides with desire. She rubs her pelvis over his muscled thigh, waves of pleasure rising and crashing as her hips dance. Deku's hand slips between her legs and his thumb rolls around her clit.

"Maybe he's touching himself."

Arguably, it's very wrong to use her friend as a sexual fantasy, but Ochako honestly can't be bothered to care. Her boyfriend writhes underneath her as her hand picks up the pace over his hard member. Deku is the only one she's ever had sex with. She wonders how Todoroki's cock would feel between her fingers. She wonders what Todoroki's cock would feel like _inside her_.

"Can you see it?" Ochako keeps muttering dirty things into his ear. "Sitting on the floor, trying not to pay attention to the filthy sounds you're making, incapable of moving. What is Todoroki wearing today, Deku-kun?"

Deku closes his eyes, his back arching against the bath tub. "M-My hoodie. The red one. And jeans."

Oh yes. Those tight,_ tight_ jeans Ashido had the glorious idea to gift him on his birthday. "He's regretting that choice right now. Your hoodie smell like you, and it's _hell_. He's getting so hard inside his pants, Deku-kun. And you know what boys who get hard do, don't you?"

At the visual, Deku growls, rutting uncontrollably inside her fist. "He-He wouldn't."

"No? He's a man too though. He's not only made of ice."

It's a shitty pun, and Ochako is standing by it. She knows for a fact Todoroki gets hot and bothered like the rest of them common folk. For the sake of their fragile arrangement, she pretends not to notice him slipping out their bed to take care of his problem discreetly. What she did with that information belongs to her alone.

"I wonder what his dick looks like," she muses out loud while she nibbles at Deku's exposed neck, one of his most sensitive zones.

The moan he makes is beyond sinful. "Long."

She jerks up, taken aback. "My, my, _Deku_! You've seen it!"

"O-Once! At the dorms. It was an a-accident!" He stutters defensively.

Yeah, sure. An_ accident_. The thought of a teenage Deku stumbling upon a naked Todoroki shouldn't turn her on as much as it does. Just like the the image of that 'long' dick shouldn't be enough to almost send her over the edge. Yet here she is, her hips shaking, slick coating her slit and her clit pulsing with want.

"He's pulling out that dick right now, Deku-kun," she purrs. Oh, but she can see it just fine. Todoroki fondling hesitantly around his crotch, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. He rocks his hips to get friction against the roughness of his jeans, then gives up on his morals, and opens his zipper. "He's jerking himself with those thin fingers of his. It's wrong, so wrong, but he can't help himself."

Just like they can't. Warmth rises in her lower belly and explodes along her nerves. She sees stars beneath her eyelids, her muscles twitching in bliss. She collapses against Deku, her hand still stroking his dick.

Deku comes five seconds after she does, sobbing softly into her shoulder. He cries sometimes during sex. Emotional intercourse is the surest way to wreck him to the core, and Ochako is not afraid to use that knowledge to her advantage.

His mouth gapes around the name 'Shouto' when his come spreads in the water.

His spine melts, boneless. Ochako nestles between his arms, waiting for the freakout to come. She doesn't have to wait for long.

"Oh my god. _Oh my god_. I fantasized about my best friend masturbating. _What's wrong with me_. Oh no. _Oh no_, what if he heard us?" Deku's jaw is slack with horror.

There comes the unpleasant part.

"He didn't," Ochako confesses. "He left while you were in the bathroom."

A moment of excruciating silence passes, enough time for Deku to process what she admitted. He tenses beneath her. "Ochako. Did you… did you _trick me_?"

She sits up on his lap, pinning him against the bath tub. "In a way, I guess I did. I tricked you into recognizing you're in love with Todoroki."

"I'm not in love with… I'm in love with _you_!" He cries out, frustrated.

Oh, her sweet boy. She cups his cheeks tenderly, swiping away his tears. "I know you are. But I also know you've been in love with him just as long. One thing doesn't exclude the other, Deku-kun."

His eyes are wide with panicked disbelief. In retrospect, she might have pushed him too hard. In her defence, she wasn't thinking very clearly, either. She can't pretend she didn't know what she was doing though.

"I… I need to think. I can't think right now."

She climbs off him. "Go. Take a walk or something. We'll talk when you come back, okay?"

He goes.

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.

Thoughts swirl through Izuku's mind, an uncontrollable turmoil foaming at the edge of his panic. Memories of UA mercilessly flash behind his eyes. There is a thunderstorm raging in his head and it's taking all his self-restraint not to break down on the sidewalk.

Todoroki, quietly sitting next to him at dinner, their shoulders pressing against each other. Todoroki, grasping his hand, helping him up after a spar. Todoroki, smiling softly at him the way he doesn't smile at anyone else, and Izuku _melting_ on the inside at the sight of his discreet happiness.

His heart clenches painfully in his ribcage. Izuku is a goddamn idiot, and he's been in love with his best friend for years.

This is so wrong. Not because Todoroki is a guy, Izuku doesn't care about that. He has always known the way his eyes strayed toat defined abs and cocky biceps put him out of the strictly straight zone. He's fine with his bisexuality, even if he technically never made use of it.

No, the problem is that Izuku loves Ochako, and pining for someone else is just fucked up. Not to mention the fact that lusting after his best friend and house guest, who _trusts _him, is unforgivable. Todoroki deserves better than to be the victim of Izuku's sick fantasies. He wants to blame Ochako for that, for making him pant like a horny mongrel at the thought of his best friend, but he's not that deluded yet.

This isn't the first time Izuku has had those kinds of musings. How much time has he lost daydreaming about Todoroki's face? How many times has he woken up in his bed, aching for warm fingers and cold breath? He just refused to accept the existence of the longing in his heart.

And Ochako knows. Ochako has always known. Why the hell did she propose letting Todoroki stay at their flat in the first place, then?

"Midoriya?" The last voice Izuku wants to hear right now calls to him. "What are you doing?"

It's Todoroki, of course, because the universe hates Midoriya Izuku. He looks spent after his run, confused at Izuku's presence, and devastatingly handsome. Izuku can't help staring at the drop of sweat that runs along his bone-shattering jaw, then rolls down his neck. Todoroki tilts his head to the side curiously and raises his hand to his cheek.

Izuku gulps, his throat painfully dry.

_Jerking himself with those thin fingers of his. _He hates Ochako for doing this to him. He was better off living in denial, thank you very much.

"Midoriya? Are you alright?" Todoroki frowns, his features darkening with concern.

"I'm fine!" Izuku replies two notes too high. "Totally fine! Just. Going on a walk. To clear my mind?"

"I see. Is your mind cleared now?"

Izuku feels himself die on the inside at Todoroki's sincere worry. No, not at all. If anything, his psyche is even more in shambles than before.

"Not really." He admits sheepishly. "I should probably go home, though."

He's hardly looking forward to that conversation, but he and Ochako need to talk.

"I don't mean to pry but…" Todoroki says, hesitantly. "Did something happen with Uraraka?"

Is Izuku that transparent? Surely not that much, or Todoroki would be running the other way, disgusted by how his best friend objectified him. "Yeah. Kinda. I don't know."

Todoroki straightens, looking pensive and worried. He doesn't ask what the hell happened in the short hour he was gone. He doesn't ask why Izuku looks like he got wrecked by a storm, either, and Izuku has never been more grateful to him. Todoroki gets it. Instead, he asks: "Do you want me to clear the flat?"

Izuku blinks. Actually. That would be very useful. It's probably for the best Todoroki stays clear of them until they figure out what the hell is going on. "... I don't want to chase you…"

"You're not," Todoroki assures him. "I can stay at Iida's for a few days. I'm sure he won't mind. Or my sister's, if Iida is too busy."

The idea is tempting, yet. The thought of Todoroki sleeping elsewhere wakes a wave of uneasiness. What if he never comes back? "Do you promise me you're not going to sleep in an empty alley?"

"Don't be silly. I have standards. I would sleep under a bridge," his friend says flatly. "I promise. You can call Iida if you don't trust me."

"I trust you with everything except your own safety," Izuku retorts. "Alright… only for the night, okay? You're coming back?"

God, he sounds so pathetic and needy. He's got it so bad, it's not even funny.

Todoroki smiles softly. "Yes. Until you get tired of me and throw me out."

Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen anytime soon. "I'll hold you to that, Todoroki-kun. D-Do you need to grab some stuff?"

"No, I'll be okay. I'll call Iida and take a cab. Go home, Midoriya."

Izuku goes home, his mind foggy with the kindness of Todoroki's expression. It's very sad denial was the only thing stopping him from thinking about Todoroki all the goddamn time.

The flat smells like cooking when he walks in. Ochako is cooking. Ochako never cooks unless she's literally starving or feeling terribly guilty. "I'm home."

"Ah. Welcome back?" Ochako says from behind the counter, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"I saw Todoroki. He's sleeping at Iida's for tonight," Izuku sighs. "And before you ask, he suggested it. Don't worry, he doesn't know what's wrong, exactly."

Ochako puts her knife in the sink, forlorn. "I see. Deku, listen. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Not like this, anyway."

He walks to her, slipping behind the counter. Maybe not, but Izuku wasn't exactly blameless in this clusterfuck. He could have stopped her. He puts his head in his hands, a wave of exhaustion crashing into him. "H-How long have you known?"

"How you feel about Todoroki, you mean? Since before I asked you out."

So fucking long. Izuku can't believe he's been deluding himself for no less than _five years_. "I don't understand, Ochako. Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Honestly? I was scared. I was scared you loved him more than you loved me. Scared that you would leave me if you figured it out," Ochako softly admits. "And I know what you're thinking. Why did I invite him into our home?"

She pauses, takes a deep breath, and stares straight into his eyes. "I was tired of being scared of a man that would rather kill himself than hurt us. And I don't regret my decision. I like him being with us. I really do, Izuku. I want him to_ stay_, indefinitely. We're better with him."

Izuku gasps with disbelief. "You... You don't mean…"

"I _do_ mean that. I want him to _be _with us. All the way."

What she's saying… it's not possible. Izuku doesn't pretend to be anything close to a relationship expert, but he knows that's not how it works. It's just not. Izuku isn't allowed to be _that _selfish.

"I've… looked it up. Polyamory." The word sounds like sin in her mouth. "It's a thing. It's not common, but. Some people make it work. We could make it work, Izuku. We've been making it work for months now."

Have they? Izuku knows it's not common to get bentos from his roommate, to cuddle on the couch or to sleep in the same bed but… Surely, it wasn't… like _that_. Oh fuck. Who does he think he's fooling? It's exactly like that, and he has no wish to let it go.

"Hypothetically, if I agree with that… do you really think Todoroki would too?"

"I think so, but I can't be sure." She shakes her head. "I think it's worth the risk. I want to try, anyway."

"I could lose him forever," Izuku realizes. "_We_ could lose him forever."

The thought of going back to a life without Todoroki in it is terrifying. No homemade meals, no soba in the fridge, no apple shampoo in the shower. No Osharko and no Fishzuku, no quiet evenings under the kotatsu. Izuku's anxiety is unleashing at the simple idea of Todoroki being gone forever.

"It's going to come out one way or another if he keeps living with us. Look me in the eye, and tell me it's not what you want."

Izuku chuckles hysterically. Ochako is like this. She has no time for bullshit, and she takes no prisoners. It's all or nothing. "Alright. What's your plan?"

Ochako brightens. "Well! The easiest way would be to be honest and just tell him."

He winces. He doesn't think he's ready to confront Todoroki yet. He needs some time to get used to the idea and sort out the mess that is his emotions right now

"Or we could… show him. Prove ourselves as good spouse material. If that makes sense. Then we tell him."

… Oh.

.

.

Shouto is five, and he's watching fish dance peacefully in the water. He's sitting by the pound, throwing crumbs to the carps, while his mother reads a book next to him. Sometimes, when the weather is tender and their souls courageous, they remove their shoes and soak their feet in the water. It's their thing. Not Touya's, Fuyumi's or Natsuo's. Certainly not Father's. It's Shouto's and Mother's thing and he loves those quiet mornings in the garden.

Shouto is fifteen and he doesn't go to the pond anymore.

Shouto is twenty-one. There is a fish tank in the living room, where Deku's books used to be.

The tank is rectangular, cheap but functional, with a removable plastic lid on top and a filter to the side. It has dark yellow gravel in the bottom, a few fake plants, one of those cliché treasure chests and a figurine of All Might giving the thumbs up to the three fish twirling around it. Goldfish, if Shouto is correct. A pale orange one, hovering nervously around the All Might figurine. A pink one, swimming near the bubbles coming out of the filter. And a bi-toned one, one side grey and the other bright red.

It's not that hard to guess who they're supposed to represent.

"Oh, you're back!" Midoriya chirps, looking up from his book. He has the face he makes when he's trying to look casual but is dying of excitement inside. "How was patrol?"

Who cares about his uninteresting patrol? "It was… okay. Midoriya. What is this?"

Midoriya follows Shouto's glaze, making a point to look surprised. He's so bad at acting nonchalant. "Oh, they're our new friends: Uravity, Deku and Entropy. Ochako picked them."

Of course Uraraka is involved in this plot. "... Fish?"

Midoriya chuckles sheepishly. "With our schedules, it's not like we can afford to take a pet. So, fish. They're pretty low maintenance."

Perhaps. But, as far as Shouto knows, none of them has expressed an interest in fish before. It's Shouto's thing.

His hosts have been acting strangely since Shouto came back from his little escapade to Iida's. He honestly expected Midoriya and Uraraka to be tense around him after their dispute. It would be understandable. If anything, the couple seems more united than before. United in _doing_ _nice things for him_ and Shouto has no idea what the fuck is going on.

First, Uraraka bought a comfortable futon he hardly sleeps in since he ends up in their bed more often than not. Midoriya has taken to making him bentos when Shouto was previously in charge of that task, and his girlfriend is constantly covering him under soft blankets and wrapping a scarf around his neck when he goes out, despite the fact Shouto hardly gets cold.

Midoriya gave him _flowers _three days ago.

And now this. That tank is here for him. It's a statement. A invitation to stay.

And Shouto doesn't know what to do with that.

"I hope you realize that kind of tank needs to be cleaned every month, at least," he says flatly.

Midoriya only laughs, brightly and happily. "Yeah, the seller said so. I think I'm prepared for that commitment. Don't worry, you don't have to do a thing."

Shouto stares at the three fish dancing in the water. "I don't mind helping."

He doesn't say: 'I want to stay as well.' The words are stuck in his throat, between 'I adore you' and 'why haven't you thrown me out yet?' Shouto has never been very good at saying the things he wants to. The important things.

Midoriya smiles. "I know you don't."

Shouto is twenty-one, and his life is more confusing than it ever was when he was five or fifteen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: three fishes in a tank

**Summary**: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.

**Disclaimers**: BNHA isn't mine. Chapter titles come from 'Till then my windows ache' from Pablo Neruda. Betaed by ohmytheon.

**Warnings**: **triggered panic attack in the last part, past domestic abuse**. Endeavor being Endeavor. Does this even qualify as fluff anymore, I have no idea XD

**Note**: My friend made fanart, so of course I had to add a 2k part for that. In consequence, last chapter got so big I had to split it in half. Eh. Sorry? I was genuinely planning to post the Big Confession Scene, honest. It will be the first thing you guy read next chapter!

.

**Part IV: Till then my windows ache**

.  
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Someone once said a man set in a routine is as good as dead already. If that's the case, then Shouto is long dead and buried, and happier for it. He likes routine. He likes the comfort of predictability. He likes following habits and basking in the luxury of regularity. Of course, the job of a hero is anything but predictable, although it has its moments.

Off-duty though, Shouto is nothing if not an animal of habit. He has his patterns, and diverging from them is actually quite upsetting.

Maybe that's why he gets along so well with Yaoyorozu. She understands the importance of routine. Or at least, she understands how important it is for Shouto.

They have met every first sunday of the month since graduation, as precisely as clockwork. Their routine is perfectly oiled by now: Shouto sends a text on Saturday night to confirm their meeting, Yaoyorozu gives him the go, he shows up mid-afternoon at her flat with cakes from the bakery near the metro station, they sit by her tea table, and he leaves around 6 pm. Simple, predictable,_ stable_.

"Fish?" Yaoyorozu echoes pensively. "I see."

Shouto hums noncommitally. Usually, Shouto avoids small talk like the plague. It's easier to fade in the background in larger gatherings. It's impossible for him not to say anything in one-to-one outing, and Shouto has never been a particularly skilled conversationalist.

Talking to Yaoyorozu is easy though. She never probes, never insists, never pushes. Yaoyorozu is too well-behaved and respectful for that. She gets him, and he gets her. It's truly unfortunate he didn't fall in love with her instead of Midoriya. His life would have been easier then.

"You do?" he says eventually, sipping on his cup. "Because _I _am quite confused."

Coke bubbles pleasantly in the back of his throat. He and Yaoyorozu discovered the wonders of junk food at UA. Their friends took it upon themselves to drag them to every single fast food restaurant available near the school and make them taste every brand of soda just to see their reaction. Shouto took to coke like a fish to water, while Yaoyorozu favoured Ramune. Kaminari almost died of laughter the first time he caught them drinking cheap soda using Yaoyorozu's priceless set of teacups.

By the time the joke stopped being funny, the routine was set, so Shouto goes to her flat, and they drink soda in teacups. It might seem silly and childish, but it's their thing, and they're sticking to it.

From the other side of the table, Yaoyorozu stares at him curiously. "The meaning is clear to me, Todoroki-san. _Three fishes in a tank_. It's obvious to me Midoriya-san and Ochako-san want you to stay."

It's certainly not _obvious _to Shouto. No one has wanted to him to stay with them before. Not for him anyway. His father didn't want him to leave, but only because he cared about Shouto's Quirk. Shouto knows he isn't the easiest person to live with. He's picky about his food, hates when the flat isn't clean and pristine, yelled at Midoriya more than once after he forgot to take out the garbage.

"Moreover," Yaoyorozu adds after a minute of considerative silence, "didn't you say they've been sabotaging your attempts to find a new place…?"

Shouto squirms in his seat uncomfortably at her rising enthusiasm. "I did not say _sabotaging_."

"...doing nice things for you…"

"Uraraka and Midoriya are always nice."

"...buying you adorable plushies!"

"We agreed we'd never talk about that again."

"You're sleeping in their bed!"

"Because I roasted their futon."

"That's a poor excuse and you know it. And now this!" Yaoyorozu's eyes shone excitedly. She always got more hyped for his social life than he did. "_Fish_! It's so sweet!"

It is sweet. And frightening. "It's probably nothing."

"It's not nothing!" She shakes her head. "Is it so hard for you to believe thatyour friends actually want you around?"

No, not anymore. He likes spending time with Yaoyorozu, and he knows she appreciates his company as well, no matter how awkward he can be. Most of his former classmates seem happy to see him when they meet each other, either by design or coincidence. Except Bakugou, but he doesn't count.

Seeing each other occasionally and _living _together are completely different things, however.

He looks down on his cup, avoiding her kind glare. "Can we...not talk about this anymore please?"

Yaoyorozu straightens in her seat, smoothly reigning in her excitement and curiosity. "Of course, Todoroki-san. I apologize for pushing your boundaries."

This is why precisely why Yaoyorozu is the only one he ever talked to about his feelings for Midoriya, aside from his mother. She understands the concept of privacy and would rather die than tell his dirty secrets to anyone. The friendships he managed to grow are cherished, but he has to admit folk from their class are mostly nosy as fuck. They could never accept Shouto's decision to despair quietly in the background.

Also, Yaoyorozu isn't exactly unfamiliar with the concept of useless pining either. Shouto isn't the only bisexual disaster child in the room.

"You didn't," Shouto denies. He was the one to bring up the matter in the first place, after all. If he gets embarrassed so easily, it's on him. "Anyway. You said you wanted to talk to me about something."

Yaoyorozu brightens visibly. "I did! Please hear me out, Todoroki-san!"

Shouto smiles behind his cup. "I'm listening."

"Right, right," she says, before taking a deep breath. "I'm going to open my own agency."

He blinks. That's...some news. It's odd, but not unheard of for young heroes to establish their own agency. Hawks did, after all. Creati made a name for herself and is already ranked 15th. She's only twenty-one, but if anyone can do it, it's strong, sensible, smart Yaoyorozu Momo. She has the skills, the organization, the connections, and the money. Shouto has no doubt she will be quite successful in her efforts.

"That's a great idea, Yaoyorozu. Congratulations."

"Thank you! I'm very happy you think so because...I would like you join me," she confesses, speaking very fast. She does that when she's nervous, rushing words to get over it as quickly as possible.

Join...Yaoyorozu's agency? The thought honestly never crossed his mind.

"You don't have to!" she adds hastily. "It's a risky adventure after all. Jirou-san accepted the offer, but she likes odd bets. And I completely understand if you don't want to work with me. It's fine!"

"Yaoyorozu. I didn't say no."

Working with Yaoyorozu and Jirou, uh? He likes the idea. His current agency is alright, but he's been itching to move. The problem is, it's a struggle to find agencies free from Endeavor's influence. The old geezer might not be number one anymore, but he's still one of the most important figures of authority in the business.

"I'll need some time to consider it, but I would be honored to be your partner, Yaoyorozu."

She clasps her hands together against her chest. "Todoroki-san! The honor is mine. Take all the time you need!"

They smile at each other, Shouto discreetly and Yaoyorozu brightly. Then they take a sip of their respective beverage and share the cake, as if nothing special has happened.

.

The woman has been staring at Todoroki since they walked in one hour ago, the way a cat would look at a mouse he's planning to eat very soon. Ochako knows her kind: bored, rich women who like to feast on young and pretty heroes and throw them away once they're done with them. This kind of party is their favorite hunting grounds. Well, she isn't getting anywhere near Ochako's men tonight. Or any night.

To be fair, Ochako can relate to her plight. Todoroki is always beautiful, even exhausted and covered in grim, but tonight he's just beyond striking in the dark blue suit Yaomomo picked for him. All the members of her opening agency are wearing the same shade of blue for the inauguration party. They look very fetching, Yaomomo in a magnificent long dress and Jirou in a three pieces costume, but Todoroki is really outshining everyone. She might be biased, admittedly.

On a side note, Ochako never considered how Todoroki would look with his hair slicked back, but she's very grateful Yaomomo did. So, really, it's not surprisingly he would attract the attention of women and probably a few men as well. Todoroki is accidentally magnetic like that.

Petty possessiveness growls in her belly. Before she has time to think about it, she's grabbing Todoroki's arm, circling his biceps with her gloved hand. She meets the woman's eyes and _smiles_. 'Watch all you want, but don't even think of tasting the goods because this piece of mancake is taken', her gesture says in the universal language of bitches. The woman puffs, but averts her eyes.

_Message received and understood,_ Ochako thinks, satisfaction pooling her belly. She really needs to work on that possessiveness of hers, though.

"Uraraka?" Todoroki's voice snaps her back out of her musings. "Something the matter?"

Ochako releases his arm abruptly, the familiar warmth of embarrassment blooming on her cheeks. "Yes! No! Everything is fine, aha? I'm sorry, Jirou-chan, I was distracted. You were saying?"

Jirou smirks knowledgingly. "Nothing important. You looking for something?"

That's just mean of her to expose Ochako like this, alhough she would have done the same in her place, to be honest. She chuckles sheepishly. "Deku-kun? I was wondering where he ran off to. Oh, there he is!"

Her significant other is standing by the pillar, chatting excitedly with Hatsume Mei, the crazy girl from Support. He has yet to spill anything on the suit she picked for him, she notices amusedly. Normally, Ochako couldn't care less about what he wears and just lets him be his usual fashion disaster, but this is a special occasion. It's the inauguration of Todoroki's future workplace, and as his sort of-almost-maybe-hopefully-soon spouses, they need to look _good_. The way Todoroki struggled to know what to stare at: her bustier or Deku's fitting butt is a nice bonus.

And Ochako got a new lock screen picture on her phone out of the experience. She managed to get a candid shot of Todoroki tying Deku's tie for him. Deku's face was so _red_, and Todoroki so serious. It's the best picture she has ever taken, by far.

If Todoroki doesn't question it, Jirou doesn't seem very impressed by her excuse. Ochako isn't blaming her.

"I think I'm going to get a drink," she eventually says. Retreat looks like the best option right now. And she_ really _needs that drink.

Todoroki, ever the gentleman, proposes himself for the task. "Do you want me to fetch a glass for you?"

Ochako smiles fondly and pats his arm. "Nah, I'm good. You stay here and chat with your future partner, 'kay?"

"Don't worry, I'll keep him safe." Jirou gives her the salute.

"Thanks, I appreciate it!" Ochako laughs before she leaves the group.

"Since when do I need protection?" she hears Todoroki grumble, and then Jirou's reply: "You just do. Don't question our logic."

Jirou might like to tease, but when it comes down to it, Ochako knows she can count on her to cover her back. Girls from their class are a pretty tight group still. She should organize a girl party soon; it's been forever since they last all saw each other.

The bar is full when she gets there, but she manages to squeeze a way to the counter. She comes out of the crowd victorious, a glass of wine in hand.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Oh god. She knows that voice. There is no mistaking that furious growl. She turns on her heels, smiling brightly. Cheerfulness is a valid defense mechanism against _him._ "Hello to you too, Bakugou-kun! Fancy meeting in here!"

Bakugou glares angrily at her. She knows better than to take it personally. Currently Swallowing Pure Lemon is his by default-face. She can't believe she didn't notice him. Sure, she was distracted by Todoroki's ass and predatory ladies, but Bakugou is not the kind of person whose presence you can just ignore.

"Don't play dumb, Round face. What the fuck are you doing with IcyHot?"

She gasps, taken aback by the question. "I don't know what…"

"I _said, _don't play dumb with me. Everyone could see you batting your lashes and cooing at him like a bitch in heat," Bakugou said, towering over her threateningly. "So. Are you fucking him?"

Oh. What the hell? Since when does Bakugou pay attention to other people outside of fighting, especially her insignificant self? Also, Ochako was_ not_ acting like a bitch in heat. She wasn't. If anything, Ochako is a hound, snarling and barking at strangers who think they have a right to step on her territory.

And then, understanding hits her. "Eh. Are you _worried_ for Deku-kun? That's surprisingly sweet."

Bakugou shifts from his lowkey threatening person to his usual yelling demon-like personality so fast her head practically spins. "What the fuck, Round Face? Who the hell cares about that shitty nerd?"

She can't help but laugh at his red face, ignoring her Run The Other Way alert signals. It's just Bakugou. Sure, he yells about murder every two minutes, but he's not actually dangerous to them. "You! You do! Calm your horses, mother hen; I'm not cheating on Deku. I would never betray him like that."

There is steam coming out of his clamped fists. Ochako watches the fumes dance on his skin, fascinated despite herself. She might not _like _him, but there is no denying Bakugou's tenacity is admirable, if anything. "Call me mother hen one more time, Round Face. Go on, I fucking dare you."

Well. Ochako isn't actually here to pick a fight. "Fine, fine, I'm sorry! You're not a mother hen fretting over Kirishima-kun and the rest, and you're too cool to be concerned about Deku-kun. Now that everything is cleared, may I go?"

Bakugou takes a step to the right, putting himself on her way. "We're not done here," he declares, squinting suspiciously at her. "What the fuck? Are you having some kind of fuck up threesome in your perverted den? Is that it?"

Not yet, but if everything goes according to the plan, they will. Bakugou doesn't have to put it like that though. It's not fucked up or gross. "What happens between Deku-kun, Todoroki, and I isn't your business, Bakugou-kun. Why do you even _care_?"

Bakugou has been pretending his whole life he didn't give a fuck about his childhood friend, or anyone really. Ochako doesn't get why he would stop now. She knows he does care, in his own way, because you don't look at people you don't care about the way Bakugou looks at Deku. But she also knows Ground Zero would rather explode his own kidney than admit it.

"You don't get it, dumbass?" Bakugou says, quietly. Ironically, he's scarier when he's not yelling. "What do you think will happen when those fucking prudes in the public learn about you fucking Deku's best friend, uh?"

Ochako's blood freezes in her veins. She did think about that actually. If Todoroki does become a part of their love life, it'll go public at some point, rather sooner than later. Ochako is not an idiot, no matter what Bakugou thinks. She's perfectly aware who will take the brunt of the media backlash for their unconventional arrangement.

The girl. It's always the girl.

"Do you really think you're ready for that, Round Face? You're the public darling for now, but those fuckers will turn on you so fast. You'll be the whore, the harlot, the slut, the fucking bitch so unsatisfied with one hero she had to get her claw on another."

Yes. She has seen it before. Already people are getting suspicious about Todoroki living with them for so long.

Bakugou would know about the influence of public image, wouldn't he? He always acts like he doesn't care what people say about him, but he can't be that indifferent. No one is.

She smiles. "Yeah. I know. I'm not that stupid. But I think it's worth it anyway."

_They _are worth it.

"Thanks for warning me. I appreciate it!" She gives him the thumb up, barely resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the sour scowl. "But we made our decision."

Ochako gulps down her wine in one go to give herself courage. She made her bed, and now she has to lie in it. Actually, she's going lie in it _right now_, she thinks decidedly as she strides back to where Todoroki is standing.

She bows down dramatically, stretching out her hand invitedly. "Todoroki-kun! May I have this dance?"

.  
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When Izuku comes back from his meeting, there is a smug looking Uravity sitting on his desk. The sight is familiar enough no one bats an eyelash at the display, not even his secretary. It's quite unfair, Kitamoto-san still yells at him for not filling his forms properly, but he gave up on trying to get his girlfriend to behave. A wise decision, probably. Ochako does what Ochako wants. Right now, she wants to make fun of him. She has _that face_.

"Hello, Hun," she says, looking up from her phone.

That's not good. Ochako calls him by endearments in exactly threes types of situation: post-coitus bliss, when she's feeling guilty, and to mock him. Something tells it's the last one. He squints suspiciously at her. "Good morning?"

She smiles gleefully, unable to contain herself anymore. "Do you know that you're trending on Twitter?"

His first thought is, _Not again._ If only his fourteen year-old could see him. He wouldn't believe it. But once again, his past self could hardly imagine one day, he would be a successful pro-hero, heir of All Might, dating a wonderful, strong, and beautiful woman and currently scheming to date a wonderful, strong, and beautiful man.

He sighs. "Am I? I assume it's something embarrassing."

"_Very."_

She hands his phone to him, her Twitter on display. Just the idea of looking is enough to get him sweating with nervousness, but he might as well clear the air. By experience, it's better to know.

...Nevermind. Ignorance is bliss and he wishes he kept on living not knowing about the fact that there's a picture of him running on the internet with the hashtag #thirstyasdeku underneath. He has been turned into a meme. A meme of _pining_.

The picture is from Yaomomo's agency inauguration party, because he's wearing a suit and he never does that if he can help it. It shows his face on profile, looking at something outside the shot, smiling fondly and _blushing_. It can't be seen on the picture, but Izuku knows he's staring at Ochako and Todoroki dancing. Feasting in the way Ochako's skirt twirl around her legs, gorging on Todoroki's effortless grace. He feels hot just remembering about it.

Admittedly, he does look very thirsty, and this public callout might be the worse thing to ever happen to him. Well. The most embarrassing, at least.

"Oh my god," he moans, putting his head between his hands. "That's why my sidekicks kept on offering me water this morning. I knew something was up. Kill me now."

She laughs. Of course she does. She's practically bawling on his desk with hilarity. There is nothing Ochako enjoys more than the spectacle of his mortification.

A horrifying thought comes to his mind. Sometimes Izuku wishes he could just turn off his brain instead of making everything even worse. "What if Todoroki-kun saw? Don't laugh! It's a disaster! _I want to die, Ochako; take mercy on me._"

"Pff, that's not likely." She flicks her hand dismissively. "Todoroki is a social media hermit… That being said, it's possible someone showed him, haha!"

"Don't say that to me! Can we delete this?" He knows perfectly well internet shame lasts _forever_.

"Deku."

"Can we delete the internet? I'm sure there's someone with a good Quirk out there."

"_Deku_," Ochako hisses, her mouth set in an hostile line. "Something is going on."

The utter seriousness of her tone makes him stop mid-rant. Izuku shifts slightly in direction to the open door of his office, curious at the loud voices coming from the entrance hall. His blood freezes in his veins when he recognizes the condescending baritone. Of all the people to barge into his agency today...

"Let me pass, woman."

"My apologies, Endeavor, but Hero Deku is not available at the moment. Do you wish to make an appointment or convey a message to him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Izuku mumbles to himself.

Ochako hops off the desk as Izuku rushes toward the entrance, following closely on his heels.

From what he has gathered from forums and interactions with his fanbase, many of his fans are honestly convinced Deku never gets angry. Sure, Izuku makes a point to maintain his smiling persona, but he's still a human being. He gets angry. So much. He's just very good at redirecting and hiding his resentment. Just because he's not constantly expressing his displeasure and frustration like Kacchan doesn't mean he isn't seething inside underneath the comforting smile.

If Kacchan's temper is a firestorm raging on the surface, then Izuku's is a steaming pot. He looks perfectly calm until he explodes at whoever managed to push the few trigger buttons he has. The simple echo of _that _voice is enough incentive to titillate the simmering pool of fury coiled in his chest. The sight of Endeavor towering over his secretary makes him _snarl_.

"You." Cold blue eyes glare at him, before sliding to Ochako. "And you."

"Deku-san," Kitamoto-san says, without bulging from her position. She's literally standing in front of Endeavor, using her tiny body as a physical barrier. Kitamoto-san is amazing and Deku needs to double her pay asap. "I told Endeavor-san you didn't receive fellow heroes unexpectedly except in cases of emergencies."

It's technically not a lie, but rarely put in practice. Two thirds of the heroes showing up to the agency are either friends or friendly acquaintances anyway, and Izuku would never turn down a colleague asking for his time, unexpected or not.

Except perhaps Endeavor. Izuku never mentioned his dislike of the former Number One to his staff, but Kitamoto-san noticed anyway. He'll have to be more discreet. Probably. Not like he's ashamed of it.

"Thank you, Kitamoto-san!" Izuku beams. "We'll handle it for now. I'm sure it won't take long."

Izuku has very little to say to this man, aside from 'stay away from our Shouto, you parasite'. Ochako's hand briefly brushes his back in support.

"Follow us, Endeavor-san," she says, smiling politely as she gestures toward Izuku's office.

Endeavor's eyes narrow at their cold mockery of civility, but he doesn't say a word. A rare occurence, from what Izuku knows of him.

"So." Izuku closes the door behind them, Ochako standing by his side. "What is the emergency?"

Endeavor takes a moment to glare around him, most likely judging Izuku for his extensive All Might items collection and general poor taste in decoration. Whatever. He can judge all he wants. If there is a single person whose disapproval Izuku doesn't give a fuck about, it's Endeavor's. "Don't play coy. You know perfectly well why I'm here."

"I have no clue, really." Izuku grits his teeth.

Perking up, Ochako smiles dangerously. "I assume this is about Shouto?"

The way Endeavor cringes at her casual use of his son's given name makes the darkest part of his heart shudder with satisfaction. _He _knows Ochako doesn't call Todoroki _Shouto_, but Endeavor doesn't. Endeavor doesn't know_ anything_.

"Of course it's about my son. You two are ruining his life."

Izuku has to focus very hard not to activate One For All out of sheer anger. How dare he? He dares to accuse _them _of ruining Todoroki's life. Izuku would die before he did anything to hurt Todoroki. He loves him. Unlike the cold, dead inside man standing in front of him. "You…"

Endeavor has the gall to sigh, as if Izuku is nothing more than a petulant child throwing a tantrum. "I already know what you're going to say. Yes, it is hypocritical of me to accuse people of ruining his life since I'm the one who fucked up his childhood in the first place. Believe it or not, I'm very aware of that. This isn't about me."

"Oh?" Ochako echoes, her face utterly blank. "What is it about then?"

"Spare me, you know very well what I'm talking about. That sick little game you're playing with my son. Does it amuse you to use him to spice up your sex life? Have your fun, and then throw him away once you're done?"

For a second, Izuku actually considers murdering that man. Right there, in plain view. Sure, he would go to prison, but wouldn't it be worth it? It would. It so would. Todoroki would be free from him, at last. And he knows that's not what Todoroki wants, but he can't help himself for thinking what a relief it would be to crush that beef-like neck. To shut that spiteful mouth indefinitely. He hates this feeling, hates the bitterness festering inside of him like an infested wound.

Ochako rests her hand on his elbow. He takes a deep breath.

"If anyone is using Shouto in this room, it's certainly not us," Ochako retorts, her voice deceitfully calm. "Not that we have to justify ourselves to you. You're nothing to Shouto. You have no sway in his life. You're only here because you're scared a scandal will hurt his career, not because you care about him as a person."

Endeavor crosses his arms against his chest. "I do care. I'm perfectly aware that Shouto is emotionally vulnerable to vultures like you because of my failings. I know he doesn't want me around, and I respect that. It won't stop me from trying to protect him."

No. No, he doesn't get act so paternal and protective; he doesn't get to look so sad at the reminder of his son's rejection; and he doesn't get to pretend he cares _now_. Izuku won't accept it. He has seen firsthand how badly this piece of trash damaged his own flesh and blood for the sake of his pitiful ambitions.

It's hypocritical of Izuku to act like this, he knows. He has always been a huge advocate of second chances and the right to redemption. And if it was anyone but the man who hurt Todoroki speaking, he would listen. But this. He can't. He just can't.

Unless Todoroki declares otherwise, Izuku won't acknowledge Endeavor has any right to speak in his son's stead. "Get out."

Endeavor turns toward him, flames flaring up in anger. "We're not done talking…"

"We are. Neither Ochako or I are _using_ Todoroki. We love him. More than you ever did. So get. The hell. _Out_. And stay away from him. I don't care how sorry you think you are. You don't deserve to breathe the same air he does."

Izuku honestly expects the man to explode right then and there. Looks forward to it, really. If Endeavor attacks first, then Izuku will have nothing to be held accountable for.

But he doesn't. Instead, he stares Izuku straight in the eyes and says: "Do you...love him? Do you, really?"

He doesn't deserve an answer, but the truth spills out of Izuku's mouth nonetheless. "I would die for him."

Endeavor barks out a cynical laugh. "I have seen you fight, Midoriya Izuku. You have no survival instinct. Who _wouldn't_ you die for?"

Fuck. He has a point, and Izuku hates it.

Ochako smiles. "Allow me to reformulate. We would die for Shouto without a second thought, and we would kill for him if it was necessary. I highly suggest you leave before we feel compelled to test that theory."

"Are you threatening me?" Endeavor sounds more amused than scared. It shows how little he knows about Ochako if he assumes she can be taken lightly. Izuku would murder someone and pay the consequences if he had too. Ochako would smile, go home, and no one would ever find the body.

"Just a friendly warning."

"I hope you're prepared to use that backbone when the wolves come to tear you apart, girl." Endeavor opens the door. "Don't think for a second the media will spare you if you persist in that direction. No need to escort me. I'll see myself out."

Endeavor walks out as dignified as he walked in, the _fucker_.

.  
.

As a rule, Shouto doesn't like when people shout, when they snarl, when they bite with their words and then with their fists. He doesn't like when people wear their rage on their face, their mouths contourted into an ugly line, and their skin blood red. He doesn't like angry people.

It's hypocritical coming from, considering he spent his teenage years in a semi-perpetual state of fury, but it's like that. Angry people make him feel either very spiteful in return or very small, sometimes both at the same time.

That's what Shouto likes about Midoriya and Uraraka, among other things. They don't yell. Sure, they get upset or frustrated, but they don't shout, and that's what important. They get angry, but they don't get _angry_, not the way _he _does.

Shouto never felt in danger sharing their space. He never felt like he owed them to be silent, to be careful, a shadow lurking against the walls, skimming over the floor, slipping between the edges to avoid attracting the attraction and the ire of the master of the house. Neither Midoriya or Uraraka would hurt him on purpose.

Shouto is safe here.

Yet.

One day, Midoriya comes home looking angry, truly angry, and an instinctual spasm of fear runs across Shouto's spine. It's stupid, he tells himself. Totally stupid. He's a goddamn grown up and a pro-hero to boot. He has nothing to fear. Nothing. It's not like Midoriya is angry at him. Probably. He can't think of a reason he would be. Shouto didn't do anything, right? He didn't. He would have remembered. All Shouto needs to do is to stay clear of Midoriya's path and be very diplomatic until the storm passes…

No. Fuck _no_. He's not going back to that. Shouto hates that voice, the voice that simpers and bows, the voice that bends sideway and pleads, the voice that begs _not to anger him everything will be better if he doesn't makes him angry_. He spent half his life fighting it, fighting the urge to accommodate his father's ire to lessen the hurt, went out of his way to confront him head on even though he got punished for it because it was still better than turning into a scared shadow.

He's not going back to that. He refuses to.

"Todoroki-kun?" Midoriya asks. He sounds more concerned than anything, his latent anger forgotten. It doesn't calm Shouto as much as it should. "Are you okay?"

He's fine. Absolutely fine. He's been on edge all day, nerves fluttering anxiously under his skin, unease uncoiled where his fears sleep, and Midoriya triggered the freak out waiting to happen on accident. It's no one's fault but Shouto's. He's being ridiculous, a child throwing a tantrum, like his father always said.

His chest is crushed under the weight of everything he tries not to think about. Firestorms are raging in his peripherical vision, muscles twitching, ears ringing, he can't breathe, breathing is the easiest thing in the world, his lungs can't have forgotten how to do that, why the fuck _can't he breathe_.

"Todoroki-kun." Midoriya is close, green blooming over Shouto's grey world. When did he get so close? "I think you're having a panic attack."

Ah. Is that what this feeling is called? Right. Makes sense. Attack like a punch to the chest, like a choke over his lungs, like an ambush of his own mind against him. Panic like the rush of fear, like the utter certainty that he's going to _die_ now and then.

It's funny. He never had panic attacks back when he lived with the old man. It was only after he left that his mind started to collapse periodically like this. A stupid, foolish weakness. He hid the two times it happened before, a rat burying itself in its hole to die discreetly.

Midoriya is gone. It's okay, Shouto would abandon himself too in his place. But then he's back again, sitting in front of Shouto, a glass of water and a pill in his hands. He doesn't even remember sitting down.

"It's my anxiety medication."

It says a lot about how blindly Shouto trusts Midoriya's judgement that he doesn't hesitate to swallow the pill. Midoriya's scarred hand runs soothingly over Shouto's head. Not his hair, because he's still wearing his hat. He forgot to remove it after he came home. It's the blue and white striped one, he remembers suddenly, the seventh beanie Uraraka knitted for him. He has fourteen hats now, thanks to her. Black hats, red hats, green hats, a frog-themed hat, a totoro hat, a Deku hat with bunny ears like his first costume, even though he pretends they're not bunny ears.

All soft and warm, if not flawless in confection. Shouto loves his growing collection of head-shaped proof of affection.

"Okay, can you breathe with me?" Midoriya asks. "Breathe in. Breathe out."

Midoriya's chest expends widely, his mouth set into a circle. His thumb rolls over Shouto's temple.

Breathe in.

How much time passed? Shouto honestly can't tell. Could have been seconds, minutes, hours, eons. Time means very little when anxiety takes hold of his senses.

Breathe out.

"That's right, like that," Midoriya whispers encouragingly. "You're doing great, Shouto."

Breathe in.

The pressure in his body is receding.

Breathe out.

It's so stupid. Shouto is so stupid. His brain picked the wrong signals and ran with it without thinking. It's not because someone is angry inside Shouto's home that he's in danger. Stupid, _stupid_ brain.

Breathe in.

"Midoriya, sorry," he eventually manages to speak.

"Oh, no, no no, don't be sorry!" Midoriya shakes in head. "It's not your fault! It happens. I used to have lots of panic attacks. That's why I still have the medication..."

He's mumbling again, his words turning and twisting and leaping uncontrollably out of his mouth. The sheer familiarity of it is a balm to Shouto's screaming nerves.

"I'm sorry, but…" Midoriya adds, carefully. "Is it...something I did? That...triggered you?"

Shouto freezes. He doesn't want to say it. It's embarrassing. "You...you looked angry."

"Oh. Oh, I'm_ so sorry_. I wasn't angry at you, it's just...a really rude asshole I had to interact with."

It didn't change a thing whether Endeavor was angry at Shouto or at someone else. In the end, Shouto was still the one paying for it anyway. At some point, he decided he might as well _make _it about him, so at least he knew why he was being beaten to a pulp.

"I didn't think," Midoriya says mournfully. "I'll be more careful next time. It won't happen again."

Shouto frowns. Why is he acting like it's his fault Shouto is fucked up in the head? He's been nothing but helpful and kind, always. Despite the fact Shouto did little to earn his careful gentleness. "Midoriya. You're allowed to be angry. I'm just being stupid. It's okay."

"Hey, you're not stupid, and it's not okay," Midoriya protests. "Do you think it's stupid I got panic attacks because someone said the wrong word or because I saw a flame coming from a lighter?"

That happened? Shouto never noticed. "Of course not."

"Well then. It's not stupid. Say it. I'm not stupid for having panic attacks."

Shouto smiles a little at his friend's stubbornness. Really. "_Midoriya_."

"_Shouto_." Midoriya's eyes narrow, until he realizes what he just said.

"_OhmygodI'msosorry!_"

Shouto stiffens. His name sounds so intimate coming from Midoriya's mouth. He likes it way too much. "It's alright. You can use my name. I don't mind." Far from it, really.

Midoriya's face perks up from behind his hands. "You're sure? I can't believe I was so rude."

Shouto doubts Midoriya has been rude a day in his life. He's just too considerate of others, unlike Shouto. "I'm sure."

Breathe in.

Shouto is okay. He's fine. He's safe.

Breathe out.

.

* * *

.

Me each time I include Endeavor in my fics: *tentatively pokes at the snarling mass of Todoroki drama with the holy stick of Fanfiction and hopes for the best*

Only one chapter left!


	5. Chapter 5

**Title**: three fishes in a tank

**Summary**: Due to the tragic and early demise of his flat, Todoroki has no other choice but to temporarily move in with Midoriya and Uraraka. And, one thing leading to another, never manages to leave. Midoriya/Uraraka/Todoroki domestic fluff.

**Disclaimers**: BNHA isn't mine. Chapter titles come from 'Till then my windows ache' from Pablo Neruda. Betaed by KarmaHope

* * *

**V. Ending**

.  
.

After years of besotted staring, Shouto considers himself a Midoriya connoisseur of sorts. Reading other people is still incredibly hard for him, but at least his best friend is somewhat of an open book to his eyes. Shouto has figured out there are two types of Anxious Midoriya. The usual stressed Midoriya, babbling nervously and looking anywhere but at the person he's talking to, and the other one. A quiet Midoriya, so anxious his soul has practically left his body and ascended to another plane of existence.

It's this Midoriya, standing next to an equally nervous Uraraka, who greets him back from his walk.

"What's going on?" Shouto says, immediately alert to the potential threat. "You two look weird."

"Oh, nothing!" Midoriya denies. "It's just...W-we need to talk to you."

Dread settles in his stomach at the seriousness of his tone. Well. Shouto knew it was only a matter of time before they asked him to move out. He let himself be fooled for a few weeks, but deep down, he knew it wouldn't last. Good things never did. Not for him. "Okay."

"Okay, okay," Midoriya echoes, smiling awkwardly. "W-would you mind sitting? It's… gonna take a while."

A while. Great. Shouto would appreciate if they could put an end to his misery as fast as possible. No need to drag out this painful moment any longer than necessary. He sits nonetheless, his limbs tense with apprehension. His hands rest on his lap without shaking, he notices with thankful relief. That's something, at least.

Midoriya sits on the other side, Uraraka quietly taking her place between them.

"Alright. So. Before we start, I just want you to know you're not obliged to accept."

Shouto blinks. This is a very odd way to open the conversation. Perhaps Shouto isn't going to get kicked out after all. "Noted."

"Just get it over with, Deku-kun," Uraraka says with fond exasperation at her flustered boyfriend. "You're making poor Todoroki nervous."

"I'm_ trying_!" Deku hisses, before rummaging through the pockets of his jacket and dropping what looks like a necklace in front of Shouto.

Shouto looks down bemusedly, then turns his head to stare at the familiar chain hanging around Uraraka's throat.

The locket appeared on Uraraka's neck exactly three days before their graduation. Shouto remembers it clear as day. She kept touching it, rolling the smooth metal between her fingers. She looked unusually grave that day, Midoriya hovering anxiously at her side. It made no sense. Midoriya gave her a gift. She should have been happy.

As far as Shouto knows, she's never removed it since. He hasn't seen her without the locket hanging by her neck, safely tucked under her shirt. Sometimes Midoriya's eyes stray towards it, and he looks sorrowful. As if he feels guilty she has to carry it.

Shouto didn't ask. Shouto never asks. But he watches, and he doesn't forget.

That's why he knows the locket Midoriya put in front of him is the perfect replica of the one around Uraraka's neck. "What's this?"

"It's… a locket. For you. If you accept it." Midoriya explains, rather uselessly. Shouto has _eyes_. "With..._withmyhairinside_."

His _what_.

"I'm sorry, I believe I misheard." Shouto deadpans. "Did you say you put your hair inside a necklace?"

"You're terrible at this, Deku-kun." Uraraka shakes her head as Midoriya turns red with embarrassment. "Just. Start at the beginning?"

Midoriya laughs curtly. "The beginning? I don't even know… okay. The beginning. It starts with a boy who wanted to be a hero."

It starts with a boy who wanted to be a hero, but sadly, had no Quirk to rely on. Not even a Quirk useless for heroics, no quirk_ at all._ But the boy wanted nonetheless. Shouto knows firsthand that the heart cares little for the limitation of the body or the circumstances.

It starts with a man exhausted after decades of constant fighting, drained and worn out, looking for a successor to pass his burden to. It starts with a woman with a heart of gold and a smile full of hope, found dead in a dark alley. It starts with a man who needed the power to defeat his wicked brother.

It starts with a Quirk stronger than any other. A Quirk built with the will of the previous owners, passed down from hero to hero, until it was given to Midoriya.

One for All.

"Todoroki-kun," Midoriya says at the end of his story, sounding drained and worried. "Are you okay? I know it's a lot at once…"

"I'm processing," Shouto replies truthfully. "Give me a minute, please."

A given Quirk. That Midoriya inherited from All Might. To fight an evil all-powerful villain. It sounds absolutely preposterous, yet explains so much. All the pieces of the puzzle Shouto has been avoiding looking at out of respect for his friend's privacy are right there, just under his nose.

The way Bakugou acted at the beginning, as if Midoriya had stabbed him in the back. The fact Midoriya couldn't seem to control his own Quirk at all back in their first year at UA. How All Might looked at his student. Shouto wasn't so far off the mark when he assumed Midoriya was All Might's son. He was. Not by something as hazardous as blood, but by _choice_.

"If I get this right," Shouto carefully adds, "this locket contains your power."

"Sort of." Midoriya bites his bottom lip. "It contains my DNA, with the 'intent' to transmit my power, if that makes sense. You can't just steal One for All by taking my DNA. I have to _mean _it."

"But in theory, if someone ate the hair in there, they would get your Quirk."

"Eventually, yeah. It's a progressive process actually, I didn't get my Quirk all at once…"

"Deku-kun," Ochako cuts in, interrupting her boyfriend mid-rant. "What Todoroki wants to know is why you're giving it to him."

Yes. That's exactly what Shouto wants to know. Because he has no idea why Midoriya is telling him his big secret now, and even less why he seems to intent to put his biggest weakness around Shouto's neck. Did something happen? Is Midoriya in danger? Is he _sick_?

"Oh. It's a safeguard. In case something happens to me." In case he _dies_. "The locket will only open to you. If someone else tries, it will self-destruct. I have a friend in support who… never mind, it doesn't really matter. As I said, you don't have to accept. It's a huge responsibility, I know."

Shouto looks down at the little piece of metal containing Midoriya's most important possession. He turns to Uraraka. "You have it, too."

She smiles sadly, pulling out her own necklace. "Yep. Since we got out of UA. All for One is dead, but. Just to be sure. Deku-kun was worried his Quirk would disappear with him."

Which makes sense. Uraraka is the love of his life. She deserves that honor.

Shouto _doesn't_.

"Don't look so confused," Uraraka pats his shoulder gently, sparks of amusement blooming in the warm brown of her eyes. "Two safeguards are better than one. If Deku-kun is attacked and doesn't manage to get away, it's possible I could die as well."

The thought of a world without Uraraka or Midoriya in it is too terrifying to even imagine. He feels sick at the prospect. If he was the only one left, he wouldn't be able to function. He would just lay on the ground and wait to die. After he destroyed whoever did this to them and burnt everything they hold dear to the ground. Then, he would crumble and never get back up.

Perhaps his father had a point claiming love was nothing but a weakness. Shouto has spent his entire childhood after his mother disappeared building walls around himself. To keep his father's words and bitter spite from touching him. To keep _everyone _away, including his siblings. But most of all, to keep his own feelings at bay. If he allowed his sadness, his grief to reach him, he would drown in it.

And so he lived like this for ten years, locked up in a fortress of his own doing. Until a boy with green eyes and yellow determination slammed through Shouto's precious walls, wrecking his defenses and razing his certitudes to the ground.

_It's your power, isn't it?_

His fortress was never the same after that. The walls were breached beyond repair, leaving Shouto uncomfortably exposed. Midoriya had made his way through, and he somehow never left. His presence filled the cold corridors of Shouto's fortress with sunshine warmth and fuzzy happiness. With self-consciousness, doubt and despair, too.

Uraraka didn't enter the same way Midoriya did. She sneaked in quietly, secretly, leaking through the walls so slowly Shouto failed to noticed until his castle had flooded beneath the stream.

They live inside of him now, and there is nothing he can do about it.

"Why me?"

Uraraka crawls toward him, her brown eyes twirling with intensity. If Shouto's soul is a fortress, Uraraka's is nothing short of a galaxy. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, why _me_? Iida is your friend too. He's trustworthy." He's not a wreck like Shouto is. He'll do his duty and carry on Midoriya's legacy if the worst happens. "Or Asui." She's the most reliable and reasonable person Shouto knows. She would know what to do.

Shouto looks down on his lap, closes his eyes for a second. He needs to get a fucking grip on himself. Midoriya is counting on him. When he raises his head, Midoriya is so close he can smell his shampoo. Pomegranate. Shouto would know, he bought it.

"Is it so hard to conceive I would trust you with this? Above anyone else but Ochako?" Midoriya whispers. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before but…"

"It's not that. I… don't think I'm the best person to choose. Asui and Iida are more reliable." Shouto admits, before he has an epiphany. "Wait. Bakugou knows, doesn't he?"

Uraraka snorts as Midoriya exhales, chagrined at the question. "Yes. He does. Not the point though. I don't understand why you think you're not _reliable_. It's fine if you don't want to do it, I completely get it, but that's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life. Of course you're reliable, Shouto! There is nothing I wouldn't trust you with."

The absolute faith in his voice wrecks Shouto to the core. Five years later, and he still hasn't figured out how to protect himself from Midoriya's merciless kindness. "You need someone who will be able to carry on your legacy after your death. I'm not that person."

He's too weak, too attached, too dependant on their warmth.

"Todoroki." Uraraka cuts in before Midoriya can protest. "You don't understand. Previous owners of One For All leave shards of themselves in the Quirk. If Deku dies, a part of him will keep on living through the next owner."

Oh. That… changes things. The idea of selfishly keeping Midoriya within himself is tempting. So tempting.

"I trust Tsu and Iida-kun. And Kacchan, sort of." Midoriya adds. His eyes are green, so green, the same color as the moss growing on Shouto's walls. "But I don't love them the way I love _you_."

_The way I love you_. Midoriya flinches as if Shouto burnt him, his mouth wide open with panic. _The way I love you_.

"Oh my god. I didn't mean… I didn't mean to say it like that!" He hisses, mortified at the unplanned profession of love.

Ochako laughs hysterically, little bells twinkling despite the heaviness of the conversation. "Deku-kun, you're a mess! We had a plan! That's why I told we should have started with that, you fool."

_The way I love you_.

"B-but Todoroki needed to know what he was signing up for! It wouldn't be fair otherwise!" Midoriya flounders, avoiding Shouto's glare. "I'm _sorry_."

All in all, Shouto considers himself to have a pretty high stress threshold. He's very good at compartmentalizing in the moment, and refraining from his feelings for a short period of time. It's the after that wrecks him. High stress, however, is something he can deal with. He just has not to allow himself to _feel_.

"When you say you… love me, do you mean romantically?" He says tonelessly, as if he were merely inquiring about the weather.

"I-I'm… I don't… Yeah. Yeah, I do." Midoriya eventually manages to answer. "I do. I love you. I didn't mean to drop that on you like this."

Midoriya loves him. Midoriya. Loves. _Him_. His sad, pathetic feelings are somehow reciprocated. Overwhelmed can't even begin to describe how Shouto feels right now.

"And you're okay with that?" He turns toward the significant other of the man who literally just confessed to him after asking him to carry his DNA.

Uraraka beams. "Yep. It was my idea, actually."

"What was?"

"Oh. Us. Together. Us three, I mean. As an item. It's called poly…"

"I know what polyamory is," Todoroki interrupts her mid-panicked explanation.

Yaoyorozu sent him links to internet websites on alternative forms of sexuality. She thought he might _need it_. He told her she was mad. Joke's on him. He should have learnt his lesson by now. She always knows better.

Midoriya clamps a hand over his shoulder comfortingly. "Hey. Hey, Todoroki-kun, it's okay. It's okay if you don't feel the same way. It's really odd, I know. And a lot at once. Please, please don't hate us."

Shouto snorts at the absurd idea. Hate Midoriya? As if he ever could. "I don't hate you. I just need a moment."

Uraraka's fingers brush over his cheek. "You're crying."

Is he? Oh. That's embarrassing. "I'm sorry. I'm not upset, I swear. I'm not. I don't even know why I'm crying."

Except he does. His heart is swelling under their touches, his fortress drowning under their affection. Here he lays, his soul exposed to their eyes, words spilling uncontrollably from his traitorous mouth.

Shouto takes a leap of faith.

"I love you. Both of you. I didn't mean to but it just happened. So please, _please_ don't ask me to live without you. Because I know I can't."

"Oh, _Todoroki_."

Midoriya swallows him in his embrace, Uraraka folding around them. Shouto fades inside the cocoon of their tenderness.

His walls are crumbling, and he lets them.

.

There is a new knowledge within Ochako. Yesterday, she did not know the taste of Todoroki's mouth, did not know the softness of his lips wrapped around hers. Yesterday, she did not know the sounds he makes when she caresses his hair. Yesterday, she did not know what it felt like to be sure, _absolutely sure_, that her strange feelings were reciprocated.

Now she does. Soon, she'll know the weight of his body and the feeling of his skin rubbing blissfully against hers. But not now. Now, she drinks her coffee, sunshine warming her back and sweet memories sending waves of giddiness through her spine.

It's early, ridiculously early. Her boys are still sleeping, as they ought to. Usually Ochako is the one who clings to her bed while Deku wakes early as fuck. Today though, she feels too restless. She sneaked out of their bed at dawn, slipping underneath Deku's arm and stepping over Todoroki's leg.

"Good morning."

Ochako flinches at the sudden noise and relaxes when she recognizes Todoroki standing by the door. She always forgets how quiet he is until he sneaks up on her by accident. Again. "Oh, good morning. Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, haha!"

She watches him pad around the kitchen, anxiously looking for signs of regret. Todoroki looks more confused and lost than anything, but reading him is as hard as decoding ancient manuscripts. "Are you… really okay with this? Me, I mean. I know you've been in love with Deku forever, but…"

Todoroki wordlessly bends over her, pressing his lips to her left cheek, where she knows the patch of red is. She used to hate those ridiculous round marks, as a teen. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I am allowed to now, aren't I, Uraraka?"

A surge of happiness rises within her, submerging her self-doubt entirely. "_Yes_. Definitely. Please do. And you should call me by my name. If you want to, that is."

Ochako is a grown-ass woman, not a floundering teenage girl on the verge of fainting each time a pretty boy looks in her vague direction. Why can't she act like it when he's smiling at her like this?

"Hm, I suppose it is absurd to hold onto formalities, considering the situation," Todoroki muses out loud as he fills the kettle with water. "I'll try. Call me Shouto as well."

Shouto. _Shouto_. Fuck this, she really is a swooning teenage girl. "Did you sleep well, _Shouto_?"

He hums in agreement. "I did. I'm half convinced you want me around for the sole purpose of throwing me into Midoriya's clutches."

She almost chokes on her coffee. "I mean. You're not wrong, eheh. He's a cuddler, and I like to have my space. You don't mind though, do you?"

"No. I don't. It's… nice."

The kettle whistles. Ochako sips on her cup as Todoroki mechanically finishes preparing his tea. She sustains on coffee, he'll perish without his daily pot of tea. Deku drinks everything that passes under his nose. It's a match made in heaven.

It's pretty odd, considering she remembers Todoroki couldn't even stand the smell of tea back in school. Another Todoroki thing she learnt not to question.

"There is something we need to talk about," Ochako says when he sits down in front of her. "About… us. And the consequences."

"I'm listening."

Of course he is. Todoroki always listens. Ochako feels bad ruining their blissful morning, but it needs to be clarified. "People won't like this. Deku thinks it will be okay but you and I, we both know it won't be that simple."

Media backlash is no joke. Todoroki, who lived under the starlight since his birth, knows the consequences of a less than stellar reputation for heroes. If they don't get public opinion on their side, they can lose everything.

Todoroki tilts his head to the side. "Hm. Frankly, I assumed you would want to keep my existence a secret."

"It's impossible to keep your existence a secret, Shouto-kun." Ochako giggles at the ridiculousness of the notion. "Everyone knows who you are."

"You know that's not what I meant."

Yeah, she knows what he meant. It would indeed be easier for everyone involved to just pretend Todoroki is a good friend of the family. She could live like that, at least for a little while, and so could Todoroki. But Deku? One secret is enough for him. He can't handle another, especially since he won't be able to stop himself from gushing about his adorable and strong boyfriend. Ochako knows how he is.

"Is that what you want?" She asks softly.

"I'm fine either way." Todoroki shrugs, drinking his burning hot tea without a moment of hesitation. Elemental Quirks sure are convenient. "I'm just happy you want to be with me at all. Also, I've been thinking. I'll take the locket."

"You will?" Ochako echoes, astonished. He seemed so crushed by the prospect yesterday. Ochako can relate. She's been there before. "You don't have to."

"I know. You said so. Repeatedly." He deadpans before smiling softly. Before he moved in, Ochako would have never guessed Todoroki could smile like that. "You've been carrying this on your own for a while, haven't you?"

She has. She loves that necklace as much as she hates it. Sometimes, it's a physical reminder of Deku's love and trust. Sometimes, it's a burden choking her under the pressure. "Eheh, I'm used to carrying stuff. It's okay."

"It would be easier if there were two of us, though."

She smiles. "Yeah. It would."

"Then it's settled," he says like it's evident.

And so it's settled. Deku wakes up two hours later to find them watching kids TV shows, matching lockets around their necks. He cries at the sight, because he wouldn't be Deku if he didn't cry all the time. What a wimp. Ochako loves him and his overactive lacrimal ducts so much.

.

.

The house is located only ten minutes by foot from where Izuku's mom lives, right next to the stationary store where he used to buy his notebooks. Izuku never questioned Toshinori for his odd choice of residence. There are still things Izuku doesn't dare to ask Toshinori, despite the passing years.

He passes through the small garden in front of the house, smiling at the blooming gardenia and brightful camelia. Toshinori gave him an extensive tour last time he visited, too long ago. Izuku always means to come back sooner, but time is in short supply for him. Toshinori understands, of course. He acts as if each minute Izuku can spare for him is a personal blessing.

He deserves better than that. Izuku is such an ungrateful son-student. _Student_.

"Izuku, my boy." Toshinori beams widely as he opens the door. "I'm so happy to see you! Come in, come in!"

"Hello Toshinori-san." He smiles back awkwardly. "Sorry for the unexpected visit."

"Nonsense, nonsense, you're always welcome here. How many time do I have to tell you?"

Izuku chuckles, sitting to remove his shoes. He accepts the pair of guest slippers gratefully. "One time more, apparently. Oh. Wait. I _know_ that smell!"

If Izuku isn't mistaken, and he rarely is, the scent coming from the kitchen is his mother's katsudon. He would recognize it anywhere.

"Ah, err, your mother visited for lunch?" His mentor rubs the back of his long neck sheepishly. "This is Midoriya Day for me, haha!"

Izuku stores that information in the back of his mind and firmly decides not to question it. The strange relationship between his mom and mentor is something akin to weird kinks to him: he knows it exists somewhere, in theory he doesn't mind but he'd rather not think about it, _thank you very much_. As long as it makes them happy, he's okay with that. He just wants to keep not knowing the details.

"Something you wish to talk to me about, Izuku?" Toshinori rests his bony hand on his shoulder. "You seem… concerned."

Izuku smiles. He might as well be an open book to All Might. "Yeah."

"Alright, let's sit, my boy. I'll make us tea."

Izuku complies easily, taking a seat near the window. Toshinori really does love his garden, doesn't he? There are plenty of gardening books in the shelves, among cooking books and novels. Something else they have in common, Izuku can't help but preen internally at the thought.

Toshinori's other source of reading material seems to be hero magazines, unsurprisingly. Half of them feature him on the front, he quickly realizes, mortified and elated at the same time. The other half covers his former classmates. It's adorable of Toshinori to keep track of their success like this, like a proud parent showing off his children.

In a way, Izuku is even worse. Every single article even remotely mentioning Ochako or Shouto has been carefully cut out and lovingly preserved in his notebooks. Long before he realized his feelings for Shouto anything more than pure and platonic. It's kind of sad when he puts it like that.

"There we go." Toshinori puts a ancient-looking tea set on the table.

Izuku accepts the offered cup with a smile and takes a deep breath. Tangerine flavored. His favorite, and incidentally his mother's.

"So. What is that you wanted to talk to me about?" Toshinori asks after they both take a careful sip.

"One for All," Izuku sighs. When is it _not _about the gift he inherited from All Might? "I told Shouto about it."

Toshinori doesn't react badly to the news. He barely reacts at all, actually. "I see. How did young Todoroki take it?"

"Well. Well enough." Izuku says, still astonished himself. He decides he might as well go all in, since he's already there anyway. "We're together now. Ochako, Shouto and I. R-Romantically."

A moment of silence. Izuku doesn't allow himself to curl up in embarrassment. He's not ashamed. The arrangement is certainly… unorthodox, but he's not repentant about it in the least. Shouto is nothing to be ashamed of.

"Pardon me, my boy," Toshinori eventually replies, sounding more perplexed by the declaration than anything. "Am I to understand you were _not _romantically involved with young Todoroki before?"

Oh, dear Lord. Now he wants to die of mortification. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, I don't know, perhaps because you speak of young Todoroki as much as young Uraraka? Because he's lived with you for months? I'm sorry for assuming, but your mother and I…"

"My _mother_!" Izuku echoes, horrified beyond measure. "Y-You two gossip about my love life?"

"I-I wouldn't say gossip," his mentor chuckles. "We are merely concerned. You work so hard, and I know I have no room to make judgement on that, but… I worry nonetheless. You seemed so much happier since Todoroki moved in, so we thought… it doesn't matter. I apologize for the invasion to your privacy, Izuku. We meant no harm."

"Oh no, I know you didn't." Izuku shakes his head. "It's just… I can't believe it took me so long to take a hint."

Toshinori smiles gently. Izuku has grown to love those more than All Might's bright beams. "Matters of the heart are often more confusing than anything else."

Ain't that the truth. Not for the first time, Izuku wonders if Toshinori had Ochakos or Shoutos in his life, at some point. He's not sure he hopes he did or not. Because it would mean he lost them, and the thought is unbearable.

"I'm very happy for you, Izuku." The man he would call his father if he dared clamps his skinny hand around Izuku's arm. "And I'm always delighted of your visits. That being said, you do know you don't have to justify yourself to me about the decision you make regarding One For All anymore?"

Izuku winces at the reminder. He does know. In theory. He just can't help feeling like One For All doesn't truly belong to him alone. It's unthinkable to assume he knows better than _All Might_.

"It's your Quirk. Your power. I trust you with it."

His chest is tight with emotion. He's going to burst into tears, he just knows it. "I-I won't disappoint you, Toshinori-san!"

"You never do. I'm so, so proud of you, Izuku."

Izuku can't be blamed for sobbing hysterically over his tea. It's too much at once. First Shouto, then this. His life is so full of blessings he doesn't deserve. He won't ever stop trying his goddamn best to be worth them. Never.

.

.

The second Shouto walks into the bar, he knows the next hours are going to be a festival of embarrassing moments. Heroes are everywhere, by the counter, sitting around the long table improvised in the middle of the bar, playing darts or babyfoot. What seems like the entirety of his former high school class cheers loudly and raise their drinks when he opens the door.

There is a bright red banner proudly displayed on the wall. It says 'Fucking Finally' in tacky gold letters, with the addition of little hearts and stars, plus what Shouto is pretty sure is a dick disguised a bouquet.

He's been here for less than a minute and he wants out already.

"Oi, Todoroki!"

"There he is, the man of the day!"

"The Man Who Got Laid."

"Lord of the Pining!"

"Conqueror of the Angst."

"Grand Master of the Not So Unrequited Love Forbidden Technique."

"Aha, guys, drop it. You're going to end up frozen."

"Worth it, Sero. _Worth it_. A true meme lord must suffer for his art."

"We'll talk about it after you know what it feels like to turn into a giant ice cube, Kaminari."

Shouto wordlessly turns on his heels. Jirou, standing in front of door, smirks at him, clearly unbothered by the fact he's towering over her. She dragged him into this trap, and now she's blocking his only chance of escape. Well. There are still the windows. They're only on the second floor. He's jumped from higher buildings before.

"Just a drink between colleagues after work, right?" He deadpans. "You traitor."

"Technically, it's the truth. There are drinks and colleagues here," Jirou gestures at the animated crowd of intoxicated heroes. "I told no lies."

"Huhu, no running away, Shouto." He recognizes Ochako's voice as she slides her arm under his from behind. "We're a team now. If Deku and I must suffer, so should you."

Shouto tilts his head sideways. He can't help but smile at the mischievous grin stretched on her lips. It's been weeks since they started dating, officially dating at least, but Shouto still gets ridiculous giddy just at the sight of his boyfriend and girlfriend. "You knew about this?"

"Nope! I got ambushed as you were. I shall not forget that betrayal."

"They made me do it, Uraraka-san!" Iida protests from where he's sitting on the bench, Ashido's legs spread on his lap stopping from standing up to defend his honor. "I apologized for the deception already!"

"Hmm, sounds fake to me," Ochako says loudly, before she turns toward Shouto. "Anyway. We should probably go rescue Deku before he spills embarrassing stories."

"I always miss the funny stuff," Jirou bemoans as she bypasses them, confident in the fact Shouto won't escape with Ochako's arm locked around his. She's right, and Shouto isn't happy about it.

His colleague and back-stabber walks toward the left side of the long table, where Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Kouda and Sato are sitting. His boss and best friend smiles brightly at him when her eyes meet his. He's pretty sure she's the responsible for this, if not the instigator then at the very least the organizator. She looks so happy of herself Shouto can't even gather the willpower to be angry at her.

On the side, Shoji, Ojirou, Shinsou and a shaking dress Shouto assumes is Hagakure are playing darts. Considering the way she screeches, the invisible woman seems to be winning. None of the other players appear upset by their loss. Shinsou rolls his eyes at him behind Ojiro's back, as if Shouto is responsible for this nonsense.

The last group, spread between the counter and the right end of the table is composed of the so-called Baku Squad, plus Iida and Izuku. The two men are surrounded by cackling former classmates, Kaminari by Izuku's right and Sero by Iida's left. Ashido lays on top of their laps, most likely to prevent any attempt to escape, and keeps on pouring drinks for Izuku. To Shouto's surprise, Bakugou is here too, grumbling on his stool and pretending not to give a fuck about what is happening behind his back. Kirishima, leaning against the counter next to Bakugou, cheerfully waves at Shouto and Ochako.

So, basically everyone from their former class but Tsuyu, Aoyama and Mineta made it to this gathering. Which, considering their respective schedules, is quite the feat.

"How drunk is he?" Shouto asks, amused by the telling pink glow on Izuku's cheeks.

"Tipsy, I'd say," Ochako answers. "Mina has been working hard to get him wasted. I only got here five minutes ago. It's damage control time, partner."

Shouto snorts at the fake grimness of her tone. Out of the three, Ochako is the most likely to actually enjoy this ambush disguised as a 'surprise party'. "I'm ready, partner."

He silently congratulates himself when she laughs at his dry reply. Kaminari, Sero, Ashido and Kirishima cheer when he and Ochako approach their end of the table. Izuku's eyes brighten visibly when he spots them, forest green gleaming like afternoon grass. "Shouto!"

"Hey," Shouto says in greeting, sliding on the bench on the other side of the table. "How many drinks did you have?"

Shouto's boyfriend chuckles sheepishly at the question. "I forgot. So probably too many."

Ashido clicks her tongue in disapproval. "There is no such a thing as 'too many,' Midori-chan! There, have another."

Ochako suddenly leans over the table and snatches the glass before Izuku can grab it. "If you want to get Deku drunk, Mina, you're responsible for taking care of him when he's wasted. Have fun scrubbing his puke out of the carpet."

"That happened _once_, you're unfair," Izuku mumbles defensively as the others burst out laughing. "Once, and you're never letting it go."

"_Never_."

"How are you enjoying your congratulation party, Todoroki?" Sero asks, sounding as amused by the situation as usual.

"Is that what this is?" Shouto says skeptically.

"Yep, Congratulations For Fucking Finally Getting Laid Party." Kaminari fakes sweeping a tear on the corner of his eye. "I'm so proud of you guys."

Shouto takes a sip of his beer. "I see. I'll have to remember to throw you one if you do get laid one day."

His retort wakes a wave of whistles, laughers and dramatic gasps. It also manages to distract everyone from the initial matter, which was the point. Shouto doesn't throw shade aimlessly. He throws shade for a purpose.

"Oh my god, that sass. Kaminari my dude, you got _owned._"

"Todoroki, you're absolutely _savage_."

"Need some salve for that burn, hun?"

"Oi, I get laid all the time!" Kaminari screeches in protest. "It's not because I don't have a boyfriend _and _a girlfriend that my sex life is non-existent, you greedy bastard. I think I liked you better when you were pining and insecure."

Shouto shrugs with apparent indifference. He's not sure what to make of that remark. Did everyone know of his massive crush on Midoriya, but were too nice to say anything? Seems unlikely. Hopefully Kaminari is just faking it.

"Get used to it," Ochako grins as she leans her shoulder against his arm. "Because New Shouto is here to stay."

"That's my man," Izuku says dreamingly, which proves he's drunker than they initially estimated.

The entirety of the Baku Squad makes 'awww' noises at the display of affection, except Bakugou who mimics throwing up. Shouto is astonished he's still here and not yelling about Shitty Deku, Half'n'Half Bastard, and Fucking Round Face being disgusting. Most likely Kirishima's influence. That man is a nothing short of a god.

The rest of the evening passes relatively smoothly. Ochako and Shouto keep stealing Izuku's drinks, and end up more buzzed than their boyfriend. Especially Shouto. For some unfair reason, Ochako has more alcohol resistance than Izuku and Shouto combined. She mostly uses that power for evil, as expected.

They move from group to group, playing poker with the Baku Squad (Ochako destroys everyone), then playing darts (Izuku destroys everyone). At some point, Shoji pats Shouto's head, shoulder and back at the same time, telling him with dignified emotion how happy he is for them all. Shouto had no idea the man cared so much, but it's very nice to hear.

He's very happy for himself as well.

"Todoroki-kun!" Yaoyorozu says. "Are you having fun?"

Shouto blinks bemusedly at her. He doesn't quite remember when he sat next to her, but he's proud of his past self. Yaoyorozu is a great person, and a great friend, even though she's a bit nosy. He should tell her that more. Actually he's going to do so right now.

"Yaoyorozu. You're a great person, and a great friend, even though you're a bit nosy."

Ochako almost spits back her drink as Jirou cries actual tears of laughter. Izuku grumbles something that sounds like, "Who's wasted and saying embarrassing stuff now?" Which is ridiculous, because Shouto doesn't need to be drunk to say embarrassing stuff. His sober self does that very well on his own.

"Thanks? I can't deny that, to be honest," Yaoyorozu laughs good-naturedly. "I have a gift for you!"

Jirou laughs again. "Oh my god, I can't wait to see his _face_."

That can't be good, Shouto thinks as he glares the prettily wrapped box Yaoyorozu put on the table. Whatever has Jirou cackling like that means more embarrassment for him. At this point, he can't be bothered to give a fuck, frankly. He crossed that bridge four drinks ago.

"Ooooh!" Ochako weights the box, shaking it softly. "I think I know what it is, eheh. Open it, open it!"

Shouto does so, revealing a classy box underneath the gift wrapping. He removes the lid and sighs at the content. Betrayed by his own kin. It's not cute, not cute at all.

"Thanks, I hate it."

"Oh my god," Izuku says as he grabs the half-red, half-white shark plushie. "_I love it_. Yaoyorozu-san, you're the absolute best."

"Thank you, Midoriya-san! I made it myself!" Yaoyorozu claps her hands together without a hint of shame.

"That's the greatest thing to ever come out of your fat cells," Ochako very seriously tells her while she steals the plushie from Izuku's embrace. "Shourko, my son, is it you? Are you finally back from the war?"

If Jirou keeps on laughing like that, Shouto won't be surprised if she breaks a rib or two. He sighs and resigns himself to a lifetime of mockery.

"It's missing something," Shouto declares. "Ochako, where are your sharpies?"

"What, why? Oh my god." Her face clears with understanding. She holds the plushie protectively against her chest. "You're not going to draw a scar on his face! Seriously, Shouto!"

"You want the Shouto Plushie, you get the Shouto plushie. I'm all for the accuracy."

"Noooooo! Deku-kun, don't let him!"

"Sorry Ocha, but Shouto has a point." Izuku shrugs. "Shourko will look cool! All the other sharks will be so jealous of how handsome he is."

Shouto snorts at that. Only Izuku would say that the ugly patch of red could do anything to make his face more agreeable to look at. Shouto is aware he's generally aesthetically pleasing, but that scar will never stop being hideous.

"No, Deku's right," Ochako says decidedly. "Go ahead, Shouto-kun."

"I'm dying," Jirou moans between hysterical cackles, her head shaking over the table.

Yaoyorozu smiles gracefully over her glass of wine. "Then perish."

'Shourko' does end up with a red drawing over its left eye. Ochako and Izuku spend the rest of the time until the taxi arrives showing it off to everyone not yet passed out, cooing proudly over their 'prettiest boy.'

It's very embarrassing. Shouto loves every second of it.

.  
.

"I love you guys. So, so much," Izuku moans contently against Shouto's collarbone.

Somewhere above his head, Ochako snorts. "Yeah okay, but did you remember to buy fish food?"

Shouto smiles to himself as Izuku pouts to their girlfriend. "Ochako, why are ruining the mood like this?"

"That's a no, isn't it? I told you four times yesterday! Four!"

Her hand passes over his face to land on Izuku's shoulder and pinches the flecked skin. It's physically painful not to laugh outright at the expression of pure indignation on his boyfriend's face. "_Ochako_."

"_Deku-kun_," she mockingly mimics his tone. "Good luck explaining to Shouto-kun why his fish starved to death."

Izuku turns his head up, staring straight at Shouto's face. "They're not going to die. They're not. Fish are super resilient."

"Since _when_?"

"I bought fish food." Shouto declares, taking pity on Izuku.

"My hero." He kisses Shouto's neck.

"One of those days, I'm going to elope with Shouto-kun. Just watch me." Ochako deadpans as she runs her fingers on his scalp.

"Never going to happen, he would never leave Deku, Uravity and Entropy behind!"

"We would take the children with us, obviously." Ochako puffs. "You can't be trusted with them."

"Nooooo! I can be trusted! Shouto, don't listen to her!"

Shouto is twenty-one and there are three fishes swimming in his tank, three fishes sleeping in his bed, and three fishes living between his walls.

.

* * *

.

Alright, that's it for this fic! I hope you guys liked it!


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